The Fire Within
by Icyfire-MikoDemon
Summary: Tradegy befalls Kagome and her traveling group when they lose a member during the final battle. After being returned to her era, Kagome tries to return to her normal life. In an attempt to escape her depression, she finds a job that leads her to meet th
1. Beginning Spark

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 1: Beginning Spark

Spiders…of all the insects in Feudal Japan…why did they have to be spiders? Kagome whimpered as she slowly backed away from the huge, hissing, eight legged demons that were surrounding her. Inuyasha was busy with a large demon tree that possessed two jewel shards, so he couldn't help her. Miroku and Sango were fighting off the dozens of spiders after them while Kirara was keeping Shippo safe high in the sky. Kagome's eyes darted around searching for some way she could escape. As her eyes traveled over the large demon tree fighting Inuyasha, her eyes narrowed in irritation. That stupid tree was the reason these television sized spiders were chasing her in the first place.

When they had first come across the tree, Inuyasha had immediately unsheathed his sword and attacked. Unfortunately it had sensed the attack and dodged before shaking its large branches. To Kagome's horror, these large overgrown spiders dropped from its branches and began attacking them with their poisonous fangs. Thankfully, no one had been touched by the spiders yet seeing as they were weak and easy to destroy. Kagome's only problem was that they were to close for her to shoot arrows at and they were only crawling closer the more time she took to think over what she was going to do.

Taking one last glance toward Inuyasha, Kagome turned tail and ran. She could hear the spiders chasing close behind her, but it only served to quicken her pace. She sighed in relief once she realized she was slowly loosing them when she suddenly tripped over something lying in her path. Landing painfully on her hip, the miko watching in horror as the spiders quickly caught up to her. Before she knew it, the demons were leaping toward her and on pure instinct; Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and threw her hands in front of her face as she waited for the attack. Waited for those long poisonous fangs to dig into her flesh and tear through her fragile skin.

But it never came. The pain…the tearing of flesh…nothing… Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see large piles of ash settled in front of her. Shocked beyond belief, she stared at her hands only to see a spark of purification glide across her finger tips. Did she just purify those demons with her bare hands? She could only remember this happening once since her travels to the feudal ear began and that was when Mistress Centipede had attacked her. Still staring at her hands in disbelief, Kagome slowly got to her feet. Her gaze traveling over the ash piled on the ground before her, the miko suddenly wondered what had caused her to fall in the first place.

Retracing her steps, she quickly came across a small lump of silver lying in the grass. Slowly stepping closer, she began to make out the features of a small unconscious animal. She couldn't tell if it was dead or alive from where she stood but Kagome could easily spot the blood stained through the animal's silver fur. Hoping it was still alive and that there was someway she could help it, Kagome rushed to its side to look over its injury.

To her relief it was breathing, though barely. Quickly inspecting the small animal's body, she realized that it was a fox and had a long, deep gash from its chest to the right hip. The wound was still pouring blood and she knew that if the bleeding wasn't stopped, the animal would bleed to death. Before Kagome could think of what to do next, the fox's eyes opened slightly before narrowing. Growling in warning, it tried to stand and move away from her only to fall back down with a whimper of pain.

"Please…don't move. Let me help you. I won't hurt you…" Kagome pleaded, staring straight into the golden eyes of the fox. It seemed to snort at her slightly before closing its eyes briefly, as if it didn't care. Sighing in relief, Kagome made quick work of tearing off the bottom half of her shirt. Ignoring the curious glance the kitsune was sending her, she carefully wrapped his wound before tying it tight to stop the bleeding. Kagome wasn't sure how, but she could tell this was a powerful demon. He must have been injured and forced to revert to his animal form in order to recover or to keep from being seen.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she turned her worried gaze to the kitsune lying still in the grass. "I'm going to pick you up ok? I need to get your wound cleaned and properly bandaged in order for it to heal." She explained quietly. She watched closely as the kitsune narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion but did not object. Taking that as her sign to continue, she slowly lifted the kitsune into her arms. He was heavier than she had first expected; not to mention bigger. She held him as she would a small child; his head lying over her shoulder as she cradled him carefully to her chest. An arm was positioned under his hind legs to keep him up.

Kagome tried her best to keep from shivering at the feel of his silky soft fur brushing against her stomach where she had ripped her shirt. Not to mention his tail just reached the hem of her skirt, so the fur covering his tail was barely touching the skin of her thighs. It tickled slightly, but she pushed down the urge to giggle in fear of hurting or irritating the demon. His front paws were propped comfortably on her right shoulder as his head rested atop his paws. He seemed relaxed and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She knew this demon could easily injure, maybe even kill her, if he wanted to so the feel of him relaxed against her brought her relief and slight comfort.

Though the comforting feeling soon dissipated and turned to exhaustion. Even though the demon was in animal form, he was still quite heavy for a mere human to carry. And to top it off, she felt a burning pain in her hip from when she fell. But Kagome was determined to find her way back to the rest of the group and help heal this kitsune. She felt the two shards that the demon tree possessed were near as she began hearing voices.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?!"

"We were preoccupied with destroying the spider demons and keeping Kirara and Shippo safe. We did not see where Kagome ran off to." Miroku explained quietly, as if ashamed he had lost track of the priestess.

"Why the hell wasn't she with Shippo!"

"Calm down will you?! Kagome is too stubborn to let herself be killed by mere spiders. I'm sure she just got lost…" Sango suggested.

"And her getting lost is supposed to make me feel better?!"

Kagome rolled her eyes as she stepped into the clearing. Shippo immediately spotted her and began sprinting toward her. He came skidding to a stop though when he noticed the kitsune she was carrying. Kagome was about to explain when Inuyasha finally realized she was there. Glaring at her angrily, he was suddenly right in her face.

"Where the hell were you wench?!"

Kagome glared at the hanyou and was about to yell at him when she felt a rumbling against her chest. Slightly startled, she turned her attention back to the kitsune only to realize he was growling softly. She wasn't sure what he was growling about but she didn't want to find out. Moving around Inuyasha quickly, she reached for her pack and slung it over her shoulder before turning to Shippo.

"Sweetie? Where's the closest spring?" she asked with a warm smile. Tilting his head up slightly, the kit took a sniff of the air before pointing where he smelt the nearest water source.

"Would you like to come with me? I'm just going to clean this kitsune's wound and change." She asked the kit. He nodded vigorously and scrambled to her side as the miko turned to her companions. She sent Miroku and Sango a look that said 'I'll explain later' before turning a glare toward Inuyasha and walking in the direction Shippo had pointed.

Once they reached the shallow river, Kagome carefully set the kitsune down. Opening up her pack, she pulled out fresh bandages and a tube of disinfecting cream before unwrapping her makeshift bandage. Shippo took a small cloth from her bag and soaked it in the water and handed it to Kagome so she could clean the wound. Kagome found she enjoyed watching the blood wash away from his perfect silver fur so much that she eventually cleaned all the blood from his coat until it looked flawlessly clean.

Passing the cloth to Shippo, she took the tube of disinfecting cream and squeezed some onto her finger. "This may sting a bit but it's going to disinfect your wound…" she quietly explained before softly dabbing the cream around the wound. He stiffened slightly but didn't make a sound as he quietly took the pain. Kagome then moved on to bandaging his entire midsection all the way down to his hip. Satisfied with her work, Kagome began putting her things away as Shippo rinsed out the wash cloth.

"Kagome… uhhh…."

"I was running from those spiders and tripped over him. I'm not sure how, but I purified the spiders with my bare hands. After getting over the shock of it, I backtracked to see what I tripped over and found this kitsune." She explained as she pulled out a clean shirt.

"You do know he's a demon right? He could be dangerous…" Shippo trailed off as he turned his gaze to the injured kitsune that was staring at them with slight confusion and curiosity.

"I know Shippo, but I couldn't just leave him there. And he seemed nice enough to let me help him." She answered from behind a tree as she changed into her new shirt.

Shippo stared at the kitsune for quite some time before the kitsune met his gaze. He seemed as if he was in slight pain, but was too curious about them to really care about it. From the color of his fur, Shippo could tell this was a Silver Kitsune and the little kit wanted so badly to communicate with him but knew he couldn't. This kitsune was much older and bypassed him in strength by ten folds. It was disrespectful for younger and weaker kitsunes to question their elders without first being acknowledged. Sticking to the kitsune code, he decided instead to turn his questioning back to Kagome.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean Shippo?" She asked as she returned with her torn shirt in hand.

"You know Inuyasha isn't going to just let you bring him into the group… he's going to throw a fit."

"Well he's going to have to deal with it. This kitsune is injured and I refuse to let it out of my sight until it is healed." Kagome snorted as she gathered her things together and slung her bag over her shoulder. She turned a smile to Shippo and ruffled his hair. "And besides, I probably injured him more from tripping over him and I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I could have done something to help but did nothing." She explained as she carefully lifted the kitsune off the ground.

Shippo smiled. "You have such a big heart Kagome, too bad Inuyasha doesn't understand."

Kagome shrugged, "There really isn't anything to understand though Shippo…"

Shippo shook his head. Kagome cared so much about others that she didn't realize how special she really was. How warm and pure of a soul she possessed. Kikyou was nothing compared to Kagome and it was disappointing that the hanyou couldn't seem to see that. Shippo sighed as he slowly followed the miko he saw as a mother. He watched the kitsune's face for any sign of pain while Kagome walked with careful and soft steps, trying to keep the injured demon as comfortable as possible. From what he could see, the demon was quite content with his head resting on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome faltered slightly and Shippo rushed to her side. Pain was evident in her determined chocolate brown eyes and he began to worry. Kagome was hurt? Was she injured by the spiders or did the kitsune hurt her? Maybe he thought she was a threat and was trying to protect himself the best he could? Watching his adoptive mother carefully, he noticed a very slight limp in her walk. She had to have injured her leg somehow.

"Kagome? Are you ok?" he asked quietly.

Turning to him in question, she merely smiled. "Perfectly fine, just hurt my hip a little from when I tripped. Nothing to worry about."

But Shippo knew otherwise. Kagome never really revealed how much pain she was in whenever she was hurt. Shippo knew she only did this to make herself seem stronger in front of the others. The kit knew how she felt; he could read her like a book. He knew she felt like a third wheel, only needed when there was a jewel shard to be found. She couldn't really defend herself and it made her feel useless. Shippo understood because he sometimes felt the same. Everyone else in the group contributed something, but he had nothing. Sango was an excellent fighter, as was Miroku. Kirara was a big help when it came to traveling and fighting as well. Inuyasha was far above all of them though. He had the power…the strength. He was the leader of this group for a reason.

Shippo sighed as he shook his head. Kagome was just too stubborn to admit how much pain she was in and with the added weight of the injured kitsune and her pack, he was sure it was wearing her out quickly. Wanting to help in anyway he could, Shippo transformed into his horse illusion.

"Kagome put your pack on my back."

Smiling her thanks, she slowly and carefully removed the pack from her shoulder and settled it on Shippo's back. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as she straightened and continued walking. The miko knew that Shippo was the only one in the group that truly understood her. Sango was a great friend but she was stronger than her, so didn't know what it felt like to be useless. Same for Miroku, she loved him like an older brother she never had, but he also didn't understand how she truly felt. There was no point of even beginning to describe Inuyasha. He just didn't care.

"I can smell burning wood…the others must have made camp somewhere nearby." Shippo stated.

Nodding, Kagome focused completely on making it to camp before she collapsed. In all truth, her hip was killing her. It felt like she had been hit by a bus or beaten with a baseball bat. (A/N: Have any of you felt this way before? I fell down the stairs once and really hurt my hip and tailbone. Omg it hurt like a BITCH! It seriously felt like someone had taken a bat to my hip lol. Anyway! Back to the story ^_^) Sucking it up, she continued walking. Once they were closer to camp, Kagome even did her best to hide her limp so the others wouldn't worry. Entering camp, they noticed Sango cooking fish over the fire. Miroku and Inuyasha were no where in sight.

"Hey Sango, where are the guys?" she asked as Shippo reverted back to his normal form and placed Kagome's bag down gently. Thanking him and ruffling his hair, she carefully placed the kitsune on the ground.

"They went for more fish. Miroku was sure you would come back with the kitsune so suggested they gather a little extra food." The demon slayer smiled as she continued cooking.

Nodding, Kagome dug through her pack for her sleeping bag. Taking it out along with all the blankets she had, she folded the long sleeping bag in half before lying a blanket down over it. Turning toward the kitsune, she carefully lifted him and placed him on the makeshift bed. Placing another blanket over him, she smiled warmly before following Shippo to sit next to Sango. Once she reached the slayers side, she was given a fish. Thanking her friend, she began to eat once Shippo retrieved his share.

"Hey wench! Who said you could eat without waiting for us!" Kagome groaned in irritation.

"I think it is safe to say Inuyasha is back." Sango whispered sarcastically.

Said hanyou dropped the fish he was carrying near the girls as he glared at the miko. "First you run off to who the hell knows where, then you come back with a kitsune that is only going to slow us down, and now you can't even wait for us to eat? I caught those fish, so its mine!"

Thoroughly frustrated, Kagome was about to sit the arrogant hanyou to hell when they heard growling. Recognizing the growl from before, the miko turned her attention to the kitsune that was resting on her sleeping bag. Everyone followed her gaze and stared at the demon in surprise. He was glaring and snarling at Inuyasha. Feeling insulted, Inuyasha rolled up his sleeves and was about to teach the fox a lesson when he heard his most hated word.

"SIT BOY! SIT! SIT! SIT! And stay there! Go anywhere near him again and I'll sit you so far into the ground, Kikyou won't have to drag you to hell!" Kagome threatened as she grabbed another already cooked fish along with hers and moved to sit next to the kitsune. Shippo followed her and sat in her lap as the miko set the extra fish down in front of the resting demon.

The demon stared at Kagome and Shippo for a moment before slowly tearing the flesh from the well cooked fish. Kagome watched him as she finished her dinner. She could hear Inuyasha pulling himself out of his crater before grabbing a fish and leaping into a tree to sulk. Kagome rolled her eyes. Why did he have to be so frustrating all the time? Deciding to ignore the irate hanyou, Kagome ran her fingers through Shippo's hair. He grinned happily as he continued eating his fish and snuggled closer to Kagome.

Feeling eyes on them, they both looked toward the fox next to them. He was staring at them in curiosity as he finished his fish. Kagome smiled warmly when she suddenly thought of something.

"Shippo? Can't you talk to him?"

The kit nodded his head as he set the fish bones aside. "Yea, but kitsune code states that a younger and/or weaker kitsune cannot communicate with an elder kitsune unless first acknowledged."

"Oh, well how much do you know about other kitsunes? I know that you're a Red Kitsune, but what kind is he?" she questioned, glancing at his silver fur once more.

"I'm sorry Kagome but it's not my place to tell. Kitsune Code." He apologized as Kagome pouted slightly.

'You may share what knowledge you hold with the miko.'

At hearing a voice unknown to him, Shippo panicked slightly. Turning up to Kagome, he saw her staring at the kitsune in curiosity. Shippo turned to the elder kitsune to see him roll his eyes. Understanding that he was just given permission to tell Kagome what he knew, he answered back quietly.

'Thank you'

Kagome was sulking over not being able to know more about the kitsune when she heard a growling, yipping sound. She looked toward the kitsune to see him staring at Shippo as if waiting for him to understand something. She then heard a similar sound come from Shippo and she grinned.

"What did he say?"

"He gave me permission to tell you about his breed." Shippo smiled. Excited to hear more about this mysterious demon, she turned a warm smile to him.

"Thank you." The fox then just closed his eyes with a snort and rested his head on his paws.

"He's a Silver Kitsune. They are one of the most powerful and rare breeds of kitsune." Shippo explained.

"What is the other rare breed?"

"A Shadow Kitsune."

Kagome nodded, taking special note of every detail Shippo shared with her. She listened as he explained that kitsune's were hunted by both humans and demons for their fur. That also straightened out any misunderstandings Kagome had about why the Thunder Brothers had taken Shippo's father's pelt. He also explained that all kitsunes had power over plants, illusion, and trickery, but each breed had their own special power. For example; since Shippo was a Red Kitsune, he had power over fire. Hence his Fox Fire attack. So many more questions began forming in the miko's head, but she kept quiet to let Shippo finish.

He went on to explaining that Silver Kitsunes hold the special power of seduction. Kagome rolled her eyes when she heard what sounded like a growl of agreement. As if the kitsune was so proud of his abilities to seduce women. Shippo then continued to elaborate on how all kitsunes have one soul mate. They may rut with many females, but once they find their soul mate, they stay faithful. He also pointed out that kitsunes mate for life.

Kagome was listening so intently to her kit that she didn't even realize everyone was asleep. Shippo let out a small yawn and Kagome smiled.

"Alright, that's enough for tonight. Lets get some sleep." She said as she looked for Kirara. Finding the neko curled up near Sango, she quietly called her over. Leaping up from her spot, she trotted over to the miko.

"Kirara, can you keep Shippo warm for the night?"

The neko mewed before changing into her larger form and curling around Shippo. He quickly fell asleep nestled in the demon's warm fur. Thanking the neko, Kagome scratched her ear softly before grabbing her last blanket and draped it over herself before getting comfortable on the hard ground. Being as exhausted as she was, Kagome fell asleep quickly despite her great discomfort.

The kitsune peeped an eye open to take a look around the camp. This surely was an odd group traveling together. A monk, demon slayer, kitsune kit, miko, and hanyou working together was quite rare. His gaze traveling over the beautiful miko, he frowned slightly. He had been showing no respect what so ever toward her, yet she continues to care for him. Weren't miko's supposed to despise all demons? Yet this particular miko had taken in an orphaned kit and befriended a hanyou. When she had first come across him, he felt no malice or disgust, only worry filling her pure aura.

Once he understood the miko's only intention was to heal and care for him, he felt a small amount of possession over her. That was the reason why he growled threateningly toward the hanyou when he insulted or yelled at the woman. She was his caretaker and he would be damned if a pathetic hanyou was the cause of her halting her curing him. He took it as his responsibility to be sure the miko was safe since she was watching over him in his most vulnerable state.

This miko was not like the others. She had ran to his aid without a second thought and even intended to watch over him until he was healed. Most would have just left an injured demon to die or if they were in the least bit caring, would clean the wound and wrap it before sending them off. This miko even gave up a comfortable nights sleep for him. He wasn't quite sure what he was lying on but seeing as the other humans had one, he suspected that this was most likely hers. Not to mention it smelled strongly of her cherry blossom scent.

Staring at the miko that thoroughly confused his view of humans; he noticed she was shivering slightly. She rolled over onto her side and suddenly hissed in pain. She must have injured her hip in some way because she tried her best to completely avoid touching her hip. Once her rush of pain had passed, she rolled onto her other side and pulled the blanket closer to her petite form. The miko was injured yet she still carried him all day? She began shivering again and he sighed.

'Keep the miko warm.' He yipped quietly to the neko. Said demon's ear flicked in his direction before she slowly opened her eyes. Looking toward Kagome, Kirara lifted Shippo by the neck of his shirt and carried him to the miko. Setting him down on the miko's chest, Kirara wrapped her large body around Kagome before draping her tails over her legs and midsection to keep the girl extra warm through the cold night.

Satisfied that the miko would be more comfortable for the night, the kitsune fell into a light slumber. He wasn't worried about his wound too much; it would heal within two days anyway. Tomorrow he would be able to walk on his own and by the day after, he'll have enough energy gathered to revert back to his humanoid form. He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave this group so quickly just yet though. They intrigued him beyond what he could understand. And he wasn't happy to see how the hanyou treated the miko. It was quite infuriating to watch, though entertaining when she disciplined him like the dog he was. Maybe he would stick around for a bit longer than needed. Its not like he had anything better to do.

* * *

Kagome woke the next morning more comfortable than she thought she would. Opening her eyes slowly and stretching, she realized Kirara was curled around her with her long furry tails blanketing her legs and midsection. Not quite wanting to get up just yet, Kagome snuggled against the neko and reached a hand up to rub Kirara's ears softly. The neko began to purr, effectively relaxing Kagome further with the soft rumbling vibrations.

"Alright, everyone up! We need to get moving so stop wasting daylight!"

Kagome groaned as she slowly sat up, careful of Shippo who was sleeping near her. Shaking the kit awake softly, he accidentally bumped her injured hip and she winced. Biting down on her lip to keep from crying out in pain, she softly caressed her hip. She felt Shippo's sharp intake of breath and turned to see him staring at her in worry.

"I'm so sorry Kagome…" he whispered.

She smiled and shook her head, "It's alright… I'm fine." She reassured the kit as she stood. Looking over to see the kitsune still sound asleep, she walked over to her pack. Sitting next to it, she tried to think of how she was going to carry the injured fox and her pack for the long day ahead of her. Opening the bag, she began digging through it. Finding another smaller blue bag inside, Kagome began emptying out the yellow one. Putting everything from the yellow bag into the blue one, she grabbed her blanket and lined the yellow bag with it.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome looked up to see Sango staring down at her. "I emptied out this pack so I can carry the kitsune in it."

"That's a great idea Kagome. I'll carry the blue bag for you." The slayer smiled and lifted the pack onto her shoulder without waiting for Kagome to object. Thanking her friend, the miko made her way over to the kitsune and slowly took the blanket that was covering him. Lining the bag with that blanket too, Kagome took great care and caution as she lifted the kitsune and placed him comfortably in the pack. His head sticking out of the bag, Kagome made sure he wouldn't fall out before rolling up her sleeping bag and pushing it into the pack Sango was carrying.

"Are you ready yet wench?" Inuyasha complained.

Nodding, she lifted the pack onto her shoulders and moved the kitsune's head so it was resting over her right shoulder comfortably. Taking a deep breath, Kagome began following everyone else. As they were walking, Shippo leapt up onto Kagome's unoccupied shoulder. Glancing at the kitsune, she was surprised he was still asleep. His injury must have really worn him out.

"How are you feeling Kagome?" he asked, worried she might tire herself out.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" she smiled.

"I know you hurt your hip somehow Kagome and I know it hurts more then you're leading on." Shippo whispered.

Kagome frowned and avoided looking Shippo in the eyes. "I'm fine Shippo, holding him in the pack is more comfortable and easy."

"Ok, but if you're getting tired you have to promise you will make Inuyasha let us take a break."

Kagome smiled, "Ok, I promise. So I've been wondering… do you think you can find out his name?"

"His name? I can maybe try to ask…" the kit hesitated.

"Oh Shippo, you don't have to. I was just curious since we just keep calling him 'the kitsune'." She giggled.

Nodding slowly, Shippo turned his gaze to the kitsune once more. Not only was he surprised that he wasn't awake yet but also by the fact that he seemed slightly…protective of Kagome. Kirara had told him that the kitsune ordered Kirara to keep Kagome warm last night and he almost didn't believe her. Then there were the times that he growled at Inuyasha when he was being mean to Kagome. Deciding to try his luck at asking the kitsune later, Shippo rested his head against Kagome's and closed his eyes.

Feeling Shippo rest against her head, Kagome reached up and brought him into her arms so he could fall asleep comfortably. She smiled down at the kit as he cuddled closer to her. He was always so worried about her. As if she would disappear once he took his eyes off her. Her mood darkened slightly when she thought of disappearing. Isn't that what will happen when the jewel was complete? It would take her back to her own time and seal the well forever. Either that or the well will just seal itself over and she will never be able to return to her time. Either way, Kagome would lose one of her families…either the one in this time or the one in her time.

Shippo shifted and mumbled in his sleep as he fisted her shirt with his small hands. Kagome sighed heavily. What would happen to Shippo if the jewel sent her back? And what about everyone else? Could she rely on Inuyasha to keep Shippo safe in her place? Kagome looked toward her monk and slayer friends. Surely once Naraku was defeated they would get married. Maybe she could ask them to watch over Shippo? But then what if they have children? Would watching Shippo be too much for them to handle?

Kagome felt fangs grazing her neck and she froze. The kitsune that she thought was still asleep in her pack was nipping and licking at her neck softly. In a way, it was slightly relaxing but Kagome wasn't sure what he was doing. Her frozen muscles relaxing, the miko let out the breath she forgot she was holding. Once she was completely relaxed, the kitsune stopped and snuggled his head against her back before falling back to sleep.

He was awoken by the feel of depression and sadness flooding the miko's aura. It was such a disturbing feeling that it even left him uncomfortable. Not enjoying the miko's current mood, he lifted his head to the skin of her neck that wasn't covered by her odd shirt. Nipping and licking softly, he was satisfied to feel her slowly calm down. Once she was completely relaxed and the saddened mood emptied out of her pure and comforting aura, he rested his head against her back so he could rest just a bit longer.

* * *

They had been walking for hours on end and Kagome's legs were beginning to tire. Shippo was walking next to her munching on a box of pocky she had given him recently and the kitsune that was once sleeping in her pack was now awake looking as bored as can be. When he had woken up several hours after comforting the miko, he was confused as to what he was sitting so comfortably in. When he realized it was her pack, he was quiet impressed that the human thought of such an idea so she could carry him easily for hours without tiring. Now he was curious of what the kitsune kit was eating that put him in such a joyous mood.

'Kit, what is that you're eating?' he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Slightly surprised the kitsune was communicating with him, he grinned. 'It's a sugary snack called pocky from Kagome's village. I'll let you try some if you tell us your name.'

Nodding, the kitsune replied, 'I am Youko Kurama.'

The kit's eyes widened slightly as he leapt onto Kagome's shoulder. 'You're the notorious thief Youko Kurama!? So that's why you seem so powerful…'

'Yes, now I would like you to answer a few questions for me kit.' He said as he tasted the sugary treat that Shippo handed to him. He found it so delicious he was tempted to snatch the entire box from the kit.

'Only if you answer some of our questions.' Shippo answered.

'These are questions from the miko and yourself?'

'Yes, me and Kagome.' He grinned.

'Alright, ask away.'

Thinking of what he should ask first, Shippo decided to get Kagome's questions out of the way. 'How did you get hurt?'

'I was attacked by a demon in a baboon suit and a wind demon. I easily disposed of the baboon but the wind demon escaped. It would seem they were after something I had in my possession.'

'Was it a shard of the Shikon No Tama?'

Surprised, the kitsune nodded. 'Yes it was. How did you know that?'

'The demon dressed as a baboon is Naraku and the wind demon is Kagura. They are collecting the pieces of the jewel so Naraku can use it to become a full demon.' Shippo answered.

'I see. I take it you once possessed a shard and they took it from you as well?'

'Actually…Kagome is the guardian of the jewel…she's the reason it's shattered in the first place.'

Surprised beyond belief, Youko turned his gaze to the miko carrying him. She's the one that broke the Shikon Jewel? This miko is the guardian of the Sacred Jewel? She must be more powerful then he had first assumed then.

'Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and I are all traveling together to collect the shards of the jewel so Kagome can fuse them back together and keep it safe. Naraku is also collecting the shards so we are racing against time to collect more then him. Once all the shards are collected, the final battle between us and Naraku's army will determine who gets the completed Shikon Jewel.'

Youko was now confused. 'But I killed Naraku.'

'That was only a puppet. Naraku himself almost never leaves his castle. He sends out puppets or his detachments to do all his dirty work.'

'I see…Now if this Naraku is constantly after your lives, why is the miko so trusting of strange demons she does not know?'

'It's just how Kagome is. Almost all the friends she has in this time have either tried to kill her or kidnapped her. They are all now her very close friends and allies.'

Youko narrowed his eyes at the kit when he caught his slip. 'What do you mean by 'this time'?'

Panic filled Shippo's aura and he scrambled off of Kagome's shoulder to resume walking next to her. 'Umm…I can't tell you that…only Kagome can…' he stuttered.

Nodding slowly, Youko averted his gaze toward the front of the traveling group. What did the kit mean when he said that? Smirking to himself, Youko decided to let the kit off the hook. He would ask the miko himself once he gained enough energy to revert to his humanoid form.

Kagome was quietly listening as Shippo and the kitsune talked. Once she saw her kit leap to the ground with a slightly startled look on his face, she knew he had said something he wasn't supposed to. Once the kitsune returned to his resting, Kagome turned to Shippo.

"Shippo…are you allowed to tell me what you guys were talking about?"

The kit glanced toward the kitsune, who nodded discreetly before Shippo smiled. He leapt onto her shoulder and began explaining everything that was said. Kagome was surprised that the kitsune had encountered Naraku and lived to tell about it. He must be quite strong to take on both Kagura and Naraku by himself. Kagome was delighted to finally hear the name of the kitsune that was temporarily traveling with them. Shippo explained how well known Youko was and Kagome wasn't surprised that she had once again befriended yet another demon with a dark past. Once the kit finished explaining everything about what Youko had told him, she moved on to ask what he had spilled out.

"So what did you tell him? I'm sure he had some questions concerning our odd group."

Shippo hesitated for a moment before answering. "I told him that you are the jewel's guardian and that you're the one that broke it…and that we are trying to collect the shards before Naraku does."

"Ok, anything else?"

Shippo sighed. How did mothers always know when their kids did something they weren't supposed to? It would remain a mystery to him how they possibly figured it out. "I accidentally said 'your time' instead of village. I'm just so used to talking to everyone about it being your time because I barely talk to anyone besides you guys! I'm sorry Kagome…"

Kagome laughed quietly and ruffled the child's fire red hair. "It's alright Shippo. I have a feeling we can trust Youko with our little secret. And I'm sure a great thief like him doesn't take lightly to someone stealing from them. So I'll bet Youko has quite a grudge against Naraku too now."

Youko growled quietly in agreement and Kagome laughed. "See? Maybe we just gained another powerful ally too…" Kagome's line of thought was immediately cut short when she felt jewel shards speeding toward them.

"Inuyasha, there ar…"

"It's that damn wolf." Inuyasha growled as he unsheathed his sword. A whirlwind of dust could be seen in the distance and Kagome groaned. Before Inuyasha could even react, the whirlwind sped up and flew right by him only to come to a halt in front of Kagome. No one was surprised to see Kouga holding Kagome's hands once the dust settled. Kagome smiled as the wolf grinned down at the miko.

"Hello Kagome, I trust mutt face has been taking good care of you?"

"Get your filthy paws off her flee bag!" Inuyasha growled as he was about to pull the wolf away from Kagome when something stopped him in his tracks. Everyone stared in surprise at the kitsune that was recently relaxing in Kagome's bag flung his head up to glare at Kouga. Snarling, he removed his front paws from the warmth of the pack and placed them on Kagome's shoulder before pushing himself up so he was half in the bag and half standing on Kagome's shoulder. His long silver ears pinned threateningly against his head, his growling demanded the wolf back away from the miko.

"Who the hell are you?" Kouga growled after he released Kagome's hands.

Youko just continued to growl at Kouga, baring his long sharp teeth at the wolf. Kagome laughed nervously as she slowly and carefully raised her hand up toward Youko's head. She waited for him to notice her hand before placing it softly on his head and scratching the base of his ear. He eventually calmed and rested his paws on the miko's shoulder before lying his head down on his paws. Even though he was much calmer than he was just moments ago, Youko was still glaring at Kouga.

"Sorry Kouga, this is Youko." Kagome smiled sheepishly.

"You know his name now?" Sango asked.

"Yea, he and Shippo were talking. We found out that Youko was injured by Naraku because he had a shard." Kagome explained.

"Well I'm surprised that over sized rat even survived an attack from Naraku." Kouga snorted.

Inuyasha chuckled as Youko bared his teeth in their direction. Kagome sighed as she moved to sit on a rock nearby. Sango set down Kagome's blue pack next to her before asking Shippo and Miroku to gather some wood for a fire. Since it seemed like they weren't going to be leaving for some time and the sun was beginning to fall behind the mountains, they decided to start camp.

Kagome carefully took the bag from her shoulders and pulled it loose. She was about to lift Youko out of the bag when he stood on his own and stretched. She watched in surprise as he slowly made his way over to her and stretched across her lap. Lying comfortably in her lap, Youko rested his head on her leg as he continued to glare at Inuyasha and Kouga.

"You better get off of my woman weasel!" Kouga growled.

"Leave him alone Kouga, he's injured and not fit to fight." Kagome scolded the wolf only to retrieve a grunt in reply.

"I'll back off for now, but once that whelp is healed I'm not holding back."

"Was there a particular reason for your visit Kouga?" Sango asked, trying to change the subject.

"In fact, there was. I caught wind of Naraku just a few days ago. Kagura and that troublesome kid with a sickle were heading east."

"A sickle? Do you mean Kohaku?" Kagome asked quickly.

"It had to be him… was he injured?" Sango asked softly.

"Not from what I saw, he looked perfectly fine. But there was a demon after them. He moved so quick all I could see was his black clothing." Kouga grudgingly admitted.

At hearing that piece of information, Youko's ears perked up and he stared at the wolf with a knowing smirk. Kagome looked down to Youko and scratched his ear softly.

"Youko, do you know this demon in black?" Kagome asked, knowing he could understand her.

'Yes, it must be Hiei. He is my thieving partner.' Youko answered.

"He says it's probably his comrade Hiei." Shippo translated.

"So he's on our side if he was chasing down Kagura right?" Sango asked.

"I would hope so Sango, because anyone that can bypass Kouga's speed is well worth having as an ally." Miroku stated.

"Kouga, will you be traveling with us?" Kagome asked, changing the subject for the time being.

"I guess I could for a few days, but I have to return to my pack soon." He replied.

Nodding, Kagome carefully lifted Youko out of her lap. He pouted slightly as she moved toward her pack to begin dinner. "Would you like ramen for dinner tonight Inuyasha?"

At hearing his favorite meal, he turned a pleading smile toward the miko. "You know I would never turn down ramen Kagome."

Rolling her eyes, she began cooking enough for everyone to eat. Once it was ready, she handed out bowls to everyone except Youko. For the kitsune, she placed his meal in a plate with less of the juice but enough to keep the noodles moist. Having never smelt anything like it before, he slowly took a bite. Finding that this food was as delightful as the 'pocky' Shippo had shared with him, he quickly finished him meal. Where did this miko find such tasteful foods? Youko usually didn't enjoy human food but this miko's odd snacks and dinners were an exception.

Once everything was cleaned up, Inuyasha leapt up into a tree for the night. Kouga rested against a tree, as did Miroku, while Sango prepared her sleeping bag. Shippo helped Kagome unpack her sleeping bag and blankets as Youko merely sat by and watched. Kagome set up her sleeping bag as she did the night before and looked toward Youko. She smiled and pat the spot, signaling for him to lay there. Curious of where the miko would sleep, he watched her as he slowly made his way toward his makeshift bed. He was confused when she didn't move from her spot and looked him over carefully.

"Youko, I have to change your bandages…is that alright with you?" she asked quietly. He replied with a curt nod and she pulled out her first aid kit. With careful hands, she slowly unwrapped the bandage only to stare at the kitsune in surprise. The wound was completely healed over. Even the fur was beginning to grow back to its original length around where the wound used to be.

Youko wasn't surprised his wound was gone; he healed exceptionally fast because he could gather healing energy from the surrounding trees. Now he just needed to regain his youki energy so he could revert to his humanoid form. He would most likely have enough energy gathered by midday tomorrow.

"Ok, well you're healed physically, so now you just need to regain your energy right?" Kagome asked.

Youko was quite impressed this miko held so much knowledge of demons. Deciding to answer her, he nodded his head before resting his head on his paws. Kagome smiled and moved toward Kirara with a pleading pout. The neko mewed before transforming and licking the miko's cheek. Kagome giggled and tweaked the fire cat's ear as she laid back against the demons warm fur.

"Kirara, you make a great pillow, did you know that?" she giggled when the neko purred and draped her large warm tails over the miko's bare legs. Thanking her demon friend, she scooped Shippo up into her arms and hugged him close to her chest as they fell into a comforting sleep.

Youko continued to stare at the strange miko holding the orphaned kitsune. This miko truly intrigued him. He just couldn't get over how oddly kind she was for a miko, whose sole purpose in life is to despise demons. Yet she cared, loved, and befriended many of the dangerous demons she came in contact with. And even though he was fully healed physically, she still insisted that he sleep on her main source of comfort for the night. She was far to caring and trusting for her own good. It was bound to land her in some serious trouble one day.

* * *

Youko woke the next morning feeling far more refreshed and energized than the day before. With the miko's help, he easily healed twice as fast as he would if he had no help at all. Waking before anyone else, the kitsune stretched his sore muscles before trotting off to find some water. Returning minutes later, he found everyone was still sound asleep. Releasing a long, bored sigh, Youko took a look around camp. His eyes landing on the sleeping miko, he slowly made his way over to her.

She was quite breathtaking for a mere human. Most humans weren't exactly appealing to the eye but this woman was different. Clear and smooth creamy skin, soft but firm legs, flat stomach, silky dark hair. He also noted that this particular human bathed quite often. Unlike other humans, who bathed maybe once a week, she tried her best to find a spring or some source of water to clean up in everyday. He had to admit she was attractive. Her legs were thick but pure muscle and her backside was positively perfect. Same for her breasts, they weren't too large or too small.

A sigh escaped him as Youko realized that he was slowly growing to like the miko. His feelings confused him though. Never before had he felt anything more than simple attraction toward a female. But this feeling was different. Yes he was attracted to her but it was something more, something deeper than attraction. How could feelings such as these have developed over such a short period of time? He only knew the miko for a few days and already she haunted his every thought.

Kagome began to stir and he turned his golden gaze to her. Her eyes slowly opened and her chocolate brown eyes slowly focused on him. Staring into the kitsune's amazing golden eyes, she smiled.

"Good morning Youko, did you sleep well?"

Youko gave her a small nod as he watched her stretch before standing up. She quickly grabbed her large bag and headed off toward the spring he had visited earlier that morning. He was tempted to follow the miko but decided to remain where he was when he heard Shippo slowly beginning to wake.

Kagome slowly made her way to the small spring she had found the night before. Finally reaching her destination, she stepped onto a rock that was the first of many in a small path toward the center of the spring. Stepping onto each stone that protruded from the water until she reached the last one, she sat down and set her pack next to her. After removing a small towel from her bag, Kagome washed her face. Wiping her face dry, she decided to sit there in the silence for a little longer.

Closing her eyes, she just listened to the flowing water and the birds singing as she completely relaxed her muscles. Kagome didn't have the slightest clue why but suddenly the miko remembered she had forgotten that she promised Kaede some of the spices they sold in her time. They were rare and priceless in this time and the old miko had requested some so she could experiment without going completely broke. Once she realized this, for some odd reason Kagome happened to snap her fingers.

Disappointed that she had actually forgotten, her gaze fell to her lap. Within moments, what the miko had just recently been fretting over vanished from her mind as she stared in complete shock at her fingers. There, engulfing the tip of her pointer finger, and looking similar to a small flame, was purification. It looked almost exactly like the flame that appeared from a lighter when lit but this flame was blue. It danced in the wind before disappearing as if it were never there.

Still in complete shock and not quite sure what to do, the miko stood and took a step forward. Unfortunately, she forgot the small fact that she was standing on a rock in the middle of the spring and ended up falling into the water. Swimming to the surface, Kagome let out a sigh of annoyance as she pulled herself out of the water. Lifting her bag, the miko was about to pull out a fresh pair of clothes when she heard her name being called. Recognizing Inuyasha's voice, she hurried back to camp, knowing the hanyou was probably having a heart attack since he had no idea where she was.

Finally reaching camp, everyone stared at her in question. Rolling her eyes, she set her pack down before turning her attention to Inuyasha. She stared at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"What?" he asked, irritated with her staring at him.

"What do you mean 'what'? Why did you call me?!"

"I didn't know where you were."

"And you couldn't just use your nose to find out?!" she glared at him.

"What's got you in such a bad mood this morning? And why are you soaking wet?"

"I was washing up when…something happened and I fell into the spring." She explained.

"What happened Kagome? Are you alright?" Sango asked quickly, beginning to worry.

"I'm fine. I don't know how but I somehow summoned my purification powers." She explained as she moved to start breakfast.

"Kagome, how exactly did you summon them? Kaede and I have been working so hard with you to control your powers but nothing seemed to work." Miroku asked.

"I don't know really. I was relaxing and suddenly remembered something I forgot and snapped my fingers and it was there." Kagome said. Curious, the miko lifted her fingers and snapped. Nothing happened. She frowned and sat in front of the fire Shippo had just made with a slight pout.

"I wonder what triggered her powers…could it have been her concentration?" Sango asked.

"That couldn't be it. We tried many different methods of concentration and nothing seemed to have worked." Miroku stated.

"Well the wench couldn't do it again so maybe she was seeing things." Inuyasha snorted.

"I was not seeing things! It was there!" Kagome argued.

"Well why can't you do it again then wench?!" Inuyasha argued back.

"I don't know!"

"Exactly, so you were seein things." The hanyou snorted.

Glaring at him angrily, Kagome stood and left camp. Youko turned a hard glare toward Inuyasha and growled at him softly.

"What are you growlin at weasel?!" Inuyasha snarled.

Baring his teeth at the hanyou, Youko trotted off in the direction Kagome disappeared.

Kagome wiped away her tears angrily. She was currently sitting at the base of a large tree deep in the forest near camp. She sniffled as she snapped her fingers once again. She glared angrily at her fingers as tears still flooded down her cheeks. Why wouldn't it work again? Why can't she control her powers? Kikyou controls her powers easily, so why can't she? The little miko continued to snap her fingers, just hoping that maybe there will be that beginning spark that flares her purification to life.

Youko easily found Kagome; he simply followed the scent of salt. He knew she was crying by the smell so he decided to keep his distance for the time being. Watching her from afar, he could see she was repeatedly snapping her fingers. He sighed heavily. She must still be trying to summon her powers. He had to admit that the hanyou could be right about her imagining seeing her powers. A trick of the mind because she merely wished so deeply to control her powers. He didn't quite believe that she actually summoned her power but the hanyou had no reason to be so harsh. He most definitely did not need to hurt the miko as he did.

Deciding he had stood there for long enough, Youko stretched and gladly realized he had regained enough energy to revert to his other form. Smirking, he slowly chanced back to his humanoid form before focusing his golden gaze on the crying miko. He gradually made his way toward her until he stood beside her. He was both surprised and disturbed that she had yet to notice his presence and was about to get her attention when suddenly a spark of blue fire ignited around the miko's finger.

Kagome was trying so hard. She really wanted to show everyone that she was telling the truth. She concentrated everything on her fingers and snapping them. She was so concentrated that she didn't even notice the demon that was standing beside her. She was just about to give up hope when suddenly she felt the spark she had been waiting for. She stared as if in a trace as the tip of her finger slowly ignited with the blue flame of purification. She grinned in triumph, but when she heard someone she didn't recognize speak from behind her, her heart dropped out of her stomach and her smile disappeared.

"You really did summon your purification power."

* * *

A/N:

So that's the first chapter! Hope you all like the beginning of my brand new fic! I don't know why but for some reason I randomly get these other ideas for new fics and I just have to stop the fic I'm updating and need to just start writing the new one. Then once I have the first few chapters written, I can go back and continue writing for my other fics. It's weird. And sometimes I just get bored of my other fics and just start a new one. All well, as long as I keep updating all of them right?! So don't worry, I'm still working on my other three fics, I just wanted to get this out for you all to see. If you guys like it, I'll continue this one as well as my others ^_^ so let me know how you like this! R&R please, I love your reviews ^_^

*~Icyfire~*

Next Chapter – Chapter 2: Burning Flame


	2. Burning Flame

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 2: Burning Flame

Kagome leapt up from her sitting position and quickly turned to stare at the demon that had just spoken. What she saw surprised her. Long silver hair, white tunic, adorable pointed white ears, and a white tail. What caught her attention the most though were his amazing golden eyes. Unlike Inuyasha's dull amber color, these were bright and filled with mischief and life. But unfortunately, the miko didn't know this demon, so she carefully backed away from him, a little disappointed when she felt her purification disappear from her finger.

"Who are you…what do you want?" Kagome asked, trying to hide her slight fear.

"I am both surprised and disturbed that you did not feel my presence much earlier Kagome, you should be more careful." He smirked as he took a step toward her.

Panicking, Kagome took quicker steps back until her back pressed hard against a tree. She cursed her luck that she would happen to hit a tree at a time like this when she could be in great danger. Though for some reason, Kagome felt she knew this demon. She wasn't sure why but she recognized his eyes and something else that she just couldn't quite think of.

"Who are you?"

"How could you already forget about the kitsune that you were caring for just moments ago before you ran off?" he smirked as he continued to make his way toward her.

That's when it clicked.

"Youko?" Kagome asked slowly, not sure if she was right or not.

The silver kitsune grinned and Kagome knew she had guessed right. She smiled to herself. She knew that fur looked familiar, not to mention those ears and tail. How could she forget?

"Took you long enough." He purred as he finally closed the space between them and pressed his body against hers. Kagome blushed as red as a tomato as she felt his body pinning her against the tree. She didn't know what he was doing but she had to admit he had a nice body. She felt him grasp her wrists and pin them at her sides as he nuzzled her neck with his nose.

"Youko….what are you doing?" she asked slowly, trying to resist the urge to arch her body up closer to his. She didn't know what he was doing to her but she was slowly becoming more aroused by every minute that passed. She felt him graze her neck with his fangs and the miko felt heat pool at the pit of her stomach as he softly nipped and licked at her neck.

"Just relax…" he purred, making Kagome's entire body vibrate. The kitsune's hands traveled down her sides until they rested on her backside and squeezed her ass. Her eyes closed in bliss as she tried to hold back her moan. This wasn't like her…why was her body reacting this way? Kagome was completely confused by her actions, it was as if she didn't have control of her own body anymore and slowly her mind was beginning to fog over, making it harder to think.

Youko squeezed her backside once more and she lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist. The kitsune used his hands to hold her in place as he grinded his hips against hers slowly. A soft groan escaped her lips as the pool of heat ignited into a flame of need. Kagome almost lost complete train of thought as he moved from nipping at her neck to kissing his way down her collar bone. His tongue dipped into her cleavage and her body arched up toward his, as if asking for more.

Kagome began to panic. This wasn't like her… she had to admit that Youko was hot and she desperately wanted to ran her hands along his perfect chest but this was too far too soon. But she had no control… it was as if he was seducing her with his amazing body and ministrations. That's when Kagome remembered something Shippo had said a few days ago about silver kitsunes. They were masters at seduction! He really was seducing her!

Kagome tried with all her might to push the fog that was slowly flooding her train of thought. Soon she was in complete control of her body and pushed Youko away from her. Glaring at the kitsune angrily, she straightened her clothes.

"How dare you use my attraction toward you to your advantage! If you ever use that power of seduction on me again I'll purify a part of you that any man would surely miss!" she yelled angrily before stomping back to camp.

Youko smirked. She had admitted she found him attractive and he would bet his life that she didn't even realize it. But what surprised him the most was that the miko had resisted his power of seduction. No one, demon or human, had every resisted his seduction before. She was the first and it was quite puzzling to him. Though it also made her that much more unique. Deciding he would make it his goal to capture the miko's heart, Youko slowly made his way back to camp. It sounded fair to him since she practically already had his heart.

* * *

Kikyou entered the dark castle with caution. True she had walked through this vile place several times before but she had always come here. This time was different. She was summoned here. Her eyes narrowed, she glared at any and all demons that she passed as she made her way down the hall to the room she knew Naraku would be waiting in. Why he had requested her presence was a complete mystery to her, but she was definitely not going to let her guard down.

As the dead miko entered the room, she turned her hate filled glare to Naraku.

"What is it you want." She demanded coldly.

Naraku turned serious blood red eyes toward the miko. "I want you to give me the sight."

Kikyou snorted, "I cannot _give_ you the sight you fool. Only the guardians of the Shikon have the ability to see and sense the shards."

Naraku sighed as he shook his head. "Hmm…what a pity…I guess I'll just have to settle with taking your ability then." he smirked as he stood from his seated position in his dark corner.

Before the miko could draw her bow, Naraku had her wrapped in his tentacles. So Naraku intended to absorb her did he? Kikyou smirked as she waited for him to draw her closer. Once she was face to face with the hanyou, she released a powerful blast of purification. Her attack effectively blew Naraku to smithereens and gave her the chance to grab her bow and escape the castle.

* * *

Hiei had been trying to track down that damn hanyou for days. Naraku had stolen a shard of the Shikon jewel that he had in his possession. Hiei didn't mind that he lost the shard seeing as he didn't need its power. He thought it weak and pathetic to rely on an object to grant power. Any demon using the jewel shards didn't have true power, just temporary granted power that would be taken once a stronger demon or one with more shards crossed its path.

What angered the apparition beyond boiling point was that the vile hanyou had actually stolen from him. It was a major blow to his pride that a mere hanyou had succeeded in stealing from one of the most powerful demons to walk the earth. So in order to calm his anger, Hiei decided to hunt this Naraku bastard down and tear him limb from limb.

He had been following the hanyou's scent for several hours and finally began to hear voices. As he neared, he realized it was Naraku's wind witch yelling orders to several demons.

"Find that damn miko! Naraku needs her ability to see the Shikon shards!" Kagura demanded.

"But Kagura, she's a miko…how do you expect us to bring her back here and still be in one piece?" one demon questioned.

"I don't know, nor do I care. Find the damn miko and Naraku needs her alive if he's going to steal her ability."

Hiei smirked. He finally found out how he was going to get to Naraku. All he had to do was find the miko he was searching for and hold her hostage. Or he could kill her; either way was fine with him, as long as he found Naraku. It shouldn't be that hard to find her since only one miko could see the Shikon shards and that would be the jewel's guardian.

* * *

Kagome sighed tiredly. She was exhausted and Inuyasha still insisted they continue walking. They had been traveling since the sun rose and it was nearly dark. Even though Youko had gained enough energy to travel on his own again, he decided he wanted to hang around the group a little longer. Kouga had left early that morning, stating something about having to check on his pack. Of course before he left, he turned glares toward Youko and Inuyasha with the demand of 'don't even think of laying a hand on my woman' before he disappeared.

Unfortunately for Kagome, her injured hip still hadn't healed. It hurt just to walk but she didn't show her pain. She didn't want to seem weak so she kept her complaints inside, even though she knew Shippo could sense her pain. She wasn't sure how, but the kit somehow always knew when something was wrong with her. Whether it was an injury she hadn't told anyone about or just inner turmoil, the kit always knew.

Youko had to admit, traveling with this group proved to be quite entertaining. The monk and slayers random fights or Kagome sitting the hanyou halfway to hell, it all made his mood that much brighter. The best part of course was walking behind the miko. With the revealing clothing she wore, the view was absolutely delicious. What further entertained him was the fact that Kagome was obviously in dyer pain, but refused to ask for a break.

No one else may have noticed, but he could clearly see the slight limp in her step and the pain was clear in her eyes. He realized the kit continued sending the miko worried glances and know he could tell his mother was in pain as well. Nevertheless, no matter how many times the kit offered to ask for a break and declare that he was hungry or tired, Kagome refused to stop. Why was she so determined to not look weak?

The kitsune quickened his pace so he was walking beside the pained miko. She turned to him briefly with a small smile before averting her attention back to where she was walking.

"It is obvious you are in pain miko, so why push yourself?" Youko whispered.

Kagome turned a shocked look toward the kitsune before she sadly looked away. "If Inuyasha were to find out that I was injured again, he would just go on and on about how weak and pathetic I am and I don't want to hear it right now."

Youko shook his head. "You have been walking all day, keeping up with this hanyou's torturous pace nonetheless. How could he see you as weak if you asked for a single break?"

Kagome laughed bitterly, "Oh you don't know Inuyasha well enough yet, whenever he gets the chance, he will complain and yell. It's like he finds entertainment in crushing people's souls on a daily basis." She muttered.

Youko chuckled, but only to cover his disappointment. It seemed that the hanyou picked on Kagome often. His gaze turned up to Inuyasha who was leading the group. The sun was starting to go down and it didn't seem that the hanyou was willing to stop anytime soon. Looking back at the exhausted miko, he sighed.

"Inuyasha, would you not agree that it may be wise to stop for the night?" Youko spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. Ever since the kitsune had reverted to his humanoid form, he hadn't spoken much. Miroku guessed he was more of the quiet and observant type.

"Oh is the wimpy fox tired?" Inuyasha teased grumpily.

"In fact yes, I have yet to gain my energy back completely and in order to receive it, I must rest. Not to mention the humans seem a little beat."

Inuyasha took a look at the others. Sango and Miroku were sitting on the side, obviously thankful for the break, but Kagome was a different story. She looked ready to faint. She was pale and shaking slightly.

"Kagome, are you alright?" he asked. Before the miko could answer, she passed out. Luckily, Youko was still standing next to her and was able to catch her before she hit the floor. Inuyasha rushed to her side, as did Sango and Miroku.

"What's wrong with her?" Inuyasha demanded.

"She overworked herself, and she was injured but still was too stubborn to rest and let her body heal itself." Youko stated, knowing she wouldn't be happy that he revealed her hidden wound but knew it was for the best.

"It's your entire fault Inubaka! You pushed her too hard!" Shippo yelled.

"How is this my fault?! She's the idiot that didn't tell us she was injured!"

"Inuyasha, do you honestly expect her to willingly tell us if she has an injury? With how often you remind her of how weak she is?" Sango asked angrily. The slayer was seething. That clueless, not to mention heartless, hanyou could be so stupid sometimes. Inuyasha wasn't the only thing that upset her, but also the fact that Kagome hadn't even told her that she was injured.

The miko was usually quite forthcoming and open whenever it came to something that needed be known by at least one member of the group. But then again, it didn't seem that she had told anyone of her injury. After he finished his glare contest with Inuyasha, Shippo had rushed to Kagome's side. Sango had watched as Youko carefully placed her down on the ground as the kit searched for the miko's injury.

"Is she going to be alright?" Sango asked as she moved to sit next to her miko friend.

Even thought her question was directed toward Shippo, Youko was the one to answer. "I believe so; she merely fainted from her overwhelming pain and exhaustion."

"Do you know how she got injured? Or even where she is hurting?" The slayer asked, hoping the usually quiet kitsune would answer her questions.

"When she first found me, she had been running from demons and trapped, successfully landing on her hip I believe. I, though, didn't notice she had hurt herself until several days ago when I noticed her slight limp." Youko explained as he carefully rolled the miko to her uninjured side and lifted her shirt slightly.

Sango cringed when she laid eyes on her sister like friend's hip. It was a dark purple color and was swollen, but not to the point of being completely noticeable through her clothes. Sango sighed and took a quick look around. Finding Kagome's backpack, the slayer requested Shippo retrieve it for her. Once the bag was within her reach, she turned back to the others.

"Could you guys uhhh… go hunt for dinner and gather firewood so I can tend to Kagome's hip?" Sango asked softly. Miroku and Youko nodded and disappeared into the surrounding forest without complaint. Inuyasha on the other hand stomped off muttering about stupid woman and always wanting everything their way.

Sango rolled her eyes before getting to her work. With Shippo's help, Sango was able to tend the miko's large bruise and bandage pain relieving cream to the area before the guys returned. Both Shippo and Sango were delighted to see Youko carrying a dozen fish. Miroku and Inuyasha arrived several minutes later with more than enough firewood to last them the night.

Youko began digging through Kagome's pack as Sango began cooking. Inuyasha had growled in his direction when he had first began rummaging through the girl's bag, but quieted once he saw the sleeping bag in his grasp. The kitsune set it down on the ground and looked it over carefully. How did the miko arrange it?

Seeing the older kitsune having trouble, Shippo left Kagome's side to help him lay out the sleeping bag. Once it was unzipped and layered with blankets, Youko lifted Kagome from the hard, cold ground and placed the miko in her soft, warm sleeping bag. Shippo slipped in next to her and zipped it closed with a smile. He didn't really mind not having any dinner nor did he want to while his adoptive mother was injured and couldn't eat with him. Within minutes, the kit was fast asleep.

Youko sat where he was for quite some time just watching the two. He just couldn't understand the miko. She was like one big puzzle and everyone knows how much the famous Youko Kurama enjoys his puzzles. From the girl's sharp intakes of breath, he could tell she was still in pain as she slept. As the humans and hanyou ate dinner, Youko sat against a tree next to where Kagome and Shippo were sleeping. Once they were finished eating, they all went to bed to prepare for the long day ahead of them.

Youko was the only one still awake. He couldn't sleep for some reason. Every time he closed his eyes, the thought of Kagome crying in pain surfaced in his mind and his eyes would fling open to check if the miko was alright. Each time he checked on her, she was fine, though pain was quite evident in her facial expression and sharp breathing. Youko wasn't sure why, but he wanted to comfort the miko. He tried ignoring the urge at first but it only strengthened and kept him from relaxing.

Groaning in irritation, the kitsune stood and made his way over to the miko. Sitting down next to her, he thought about how he should comfort her. Finally deciding that she would most likely freak if she woke the next morning with him sleeping next to her in his humanoid form, Youko gathered the ki needed to revert to his animal form. Within moments, he was back to his smaller fox form.

Yawning, the kitsune slowly settled next to her head. He curled himself right between her shoulder and ear. Nuzzling her neck, he purred softly as he rested his head on her chest. Youko's long fluffy tail rested across the miko's neck and gently thumped and brushed his tail against her skin. Yawning once more, the kitsune quickly fell into an alert sleep while purring to comfort the miko.

* * *

Youko woke the next morning to find Kagome missing. Taking a quick look around, he found that everyone else was still fast asleep and the sun was about to rise. Stretching, Youko reverted back to his humanoid form and lifted his nose to the air. Easily catching Kagome's scent in the air, he lazily began to follow where the scent led. When he finally found the miko, what he saw surprised him beyond belief.

Kagome was standing against a tree with a small but sharp blade. From where he was standing, she seemed to be examining the blade before touching the tip of her finger to the sharp edge. Just as he was going to interrupt the miko, she bit her lip and cut a long gash into her palm. Panicking, Youko rushed to her side and snatched the blade from her grasp. She looked up at him in complete surprise and he narrowed his eyes on her.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" he demanded angrily.

Once the miko got over her surprise, her face lit up as her eyes danced with excitement. This confused Youko further. "Why do you keep sneaking up on me? Can't you like give me a warning that you're coming so you don't scare me half to death?"

Youko growled slightly, causing Kagome's smile to disappear. "Answer my question miko."

"I was just going to test my healing powers…" she muttered.

"Healing powers? How do you have healing powers if you can barely hold raw power under your control?" That question seemed to anger the miko slightly but she brushed it off.

"Well I'm not really sure… when I woke up this morning I had completely forgot about my injury until I sat up. There was a throbbing pain in my hip. I lifted up my shirt to take a look and as I was checking it, I ran my fingers across it." She explained before getting excited again.

"Then I suddenly realized that the area I had trailed with my fingers wasn't bruised anymore. It was weird, almost like an eraser…but anyway, I waved my hand over my hip and the pain disappeared!"

Youko stared at the miko with a blank expression. Kagome was grinning at him but soon it faded to a pout.

"Aren't you at least a little excited that I found out a new power?" she grumbled.

"I am indeed proud of the fact that you found a new power, but I am disappointed at the same time." He answered.

Kagome stared at him in question. "Huh? Why are you disappointed?"

"I'm guessing that you intentionally cut yourself just now to test if you could heal your wound, am I correct?"

Kagome nodded slowly.

"You think it is wise to drown the air with the scent of your blood? I understand that you were curious about your new power but could you not have thought this over a little better?"

Kagome's happy expression dropped into a deep frown as she refused to keep eye contact.

"With you intentionally injuring yourself, you are possibly attracting demons. What if you could not summon your healing powers and you were attacked?" Youko asked. He sighed as she continued to stare at the ground. Reaching forward, he caught her chin in his grasp and lifted her face to look at him.

"I am not angry, just worried Kagome. You could have gotten hurt."

"I know….I'm sorry…" she muttered.

Youko rolled his eyes with a smile. "I'll make you a deal. You don't go attracting trouble while you're by yourself with no one to protect you and I'll let you test your powers on me."

Kagome stared at him, confusion clouding her eyes. "Why would you risk getting purified just to keep me from getting into trouble?"

"Because…wouldn't want my potential mate to go off and get killed." He smirked before disappearing.

Kagome stood there shocked. Did he say potential mate? Sango had explained to her about demon mating before and from what she could remember, a potential mate was when a demon chose a female to court. Kagome's face turned red as she stared at the spot Youko had just been standing. Did this mean he liked her? But why would he like her? She was only a weak untrained miko who couldn't even protect herself. She just couldn't understand why he was interested in her.

Sighing in frustration, the confused miko began walking back to camp. She wasn't surprised to see everyone awake and already getting packed to go. What she was surprised about was the fact that Inuyasha hadn't complained about her being gone when he woke up. Shippo trotted over to her and leapt on her shoulder with a big smile.

"How was meditating?" he asked sweetly.

"Meditating?" She questioned. Confused, she looked toward Youko to see him grinning as he packed her things. Catching on, she smiled.

"Oh, it was very relaxing."

"Are you getting any closer to controlling your powers?"

Kagome ruffled the kits hair as she walked over to lift her large bag onto the shoulder Shippo wasn't occupying. "Yes, I hope soon I will be skilled enough to help in fights."

"Feh, even if you _do_ learn to control your powers, you're not going to fight with us." Inuyasha stated.

Kagome turned a hard glare toward him. "And why not?!"

"Because knowing you and your klutzy self, you'll probably get hurt like you always do then we'll have to stop shard hunting and wait for your pathetic human body to recover." The hanyou complained as he continued leading the group north.

Kagome clenched her hands into fists as she tried to calm her burning rage. Anger was rolling off the miko in waves and it made the group uncomfortable. Shippo stared at Kagome in worry. He could feel something boiling just beneath the surface of her anger and his instincts were screaming at him to run from it.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha angrily. How dare he say she can't fight! So what if she was a little clumsy sometimes, that didn't mean she got hurt all the time! The nerve of that stupid hanyou! For some reason, Kagome felt her heart pounding quickly and it wasn't just from how pissed she was. Her whole body was beginning to get warm as she felt her blood boiling.

Shippo panicked once he realized what he felt. It was purification. Kagome temperature was starting to rise and he quickly leapt off her shoulder. Being full kitsune demon and having more enhanced sense of smell, Youko smelt the kit's fear before any of the other demons in the group. Turning his attention to Shippo, he realized the kit was quickly moving away from Kagome. Confused, he looked toward the miko and his eyes widened.

He could still feel how pissed she was but now Kagome had gained a pink hue. Moving quickly and not caring that the purification would probably hurt him, Youko rushed to Kagome's side and wrapped his soft tail around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He winced slightly when the purification zapped him and burned at his tail but refused to move until Kagome calmed.

He didn't have to wait long because once the miko felt his tail wrapped around her and saw smoke rising from it, she completely forgot what she was angry about. The purification seeped back into her skin as Kagome gently touched Youko's soft and now slightly burnt tail.

"I'm so sorry…" she said as her eyes began to water. Youko shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her.

"It's alright, I'm fine." He smiled, but it didn't make her feel any better. Tears slid down her cheeks, soaking his tail and her clothes slightly as she looked up toward him.

"No it's not…I hurt you...I'm so sorry…" she cried.

Youko was thankful that they had fallen behind the group a little, far enough so that the others couldn't hear or smell her crying. He was sure Inuyasha would only darken the miko's mood again. Youko was about to reassure her that he was fine when his tail began to tingle. Averting his golden eyes from Kagome's beautiful blue ones to his tail that was still wrapped around her waist, he was surprised and slightly scared to see his tail glowing blue.

Seeing his look of surprise, Kagome looked down only to gain a similar look but a combination of joy and surprise. A large grin spread across the miko's face as she wiped away her tears. Her healing powers were slowly healing Youko's tail and Kagome was overjoyed. Once the blue glow dissipated, Youko turned his questioning gaze to the miko.

"That was my healing powers! It healed your tail." She smiled happily.

Youko nodded slowly as he realized something. Whenever Kagome was in a bad mood, she was able to summon that spark of purification but when she was in a good mood, she couldn't seem to form it. Now when she was sad, her healing powers leapt forth and repaired his burnt tail. Kagome's powers where linked to her emotions! It made perfect sense. This same thing happened to young demons that didn't know how to control their powers yet. Since they couldn't control them, their powers reacted depending on their emotions.

The same must apply for mikos. When they are scared or angry, their purification surfaces, but when they are sad or pained their healing powers kick in.

"Kagome, your powers are linked to your emotions."

Confused, the miko turned to stare at the kitsune. "My emotions? How do you know?"

"Because the same thing happens to young demons who have yet to learn control over their powers. When you were angry at Inuyasha, your purification surfaced and almost purified Shippo. The kit sensed the danger and quickly distanced himself from you. Then when you burned my tail, you were sad. Soon after, your healing powers kicked in." he explained.

Kagome thought about what he said. She had to admit it made sense. Every time she was able to make that little purification spark she was either really angry or frustrated. And that morning, she had woken up in tears from accidentally rolling over onto her injured hip. Just then, Kagome remembered that Youko had told her she almost purified Shippo.

Panicking, she quickly, but gently, unwrapped Youko's tail from her waist and ran to catch up with the group. Spotting Shippo near Miroku, she gently lifted the kit into her arms and hugged him tightly as she slowed her pace so she was at the back of the group. Youko quickened his pace until he was walking next to the miko and her kit.

"I'm so sorry Shippo…I didn't mean to scare you. I promise that I will do everything I can to keep you safe from my powers." She muttered into the kit's hair as she hugged him tightly.

"It's ok Kagome; I just got scared and knew that I had to get away from it just in case you decided to fry Inuyasha." Shippo giggled.

Kagome laughed. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

"How did you calm down so fast? I expected it'd take you at least the rest of the day to cool down." The kit admitted with a grin.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Youko helped me, but I injured him so I felt so bad I healed him." She explained. Surprised she healed the other kitsune, but confused at the same time, Shippo stared at her in confusion.

"I'll explain later." She smiled as they continued walking. Even after Kagome healed his tail, Youko could still feel her guilt flooding her aura. Moving closer to her, he wrapped his tail around her waist once more. She turned to smile toward him as she brushed her fingers through Shippo's soft hair.

Kagome was content and quite comfortable with Youko's silky tail wrapped around her. It wasn't long before Shippo fell asleep in her arms and Kagome was surprised Youko was actually behaving. That's when she felt his tail slide under her shirt. The tip of his tail was brushing against her flat stomach as she turned a glare toward the kitsune.

Youko pretended he didn't know she was glaring at him until she cleared her throat. He turned to her with an innocent look on his devilishly handsome face and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I'm warning you, if that tail travels any higher _or_ lower, I'll purify it from your body." The miko threatened.

Youko shuttered slightly at the thought of his tail being completely purified. It wasn't a pretty visual. Deciding he wanted to get through the day in one piece, the kitsune brought forth all his will power to hold back the urge to brush his tail just a little further up. It was so tempting though… her breasts were so perfect and full. He internally groaned in frustration.

He really hoped Kagome would accept his desire to take her as his mate. He hadn't staked an official claim on her yet but she was aware that he was interested. He would not be able to place the official claim on her until she accepted it. Though he wondered if she knew what a potential mate was seeing as she was human and could have no idea what he was talking about. He would just have to talk to her about it later, when they were in a more private place away from the nosey hanyou.

He knew Kagome was attracted to him, but would she accept him as her mate? Youko's pride told him that no female could resist him but then again his pride also made him believe he knew everything. He was proven wrong of that when he met this strange miko. He had believed all mikos hated demons and it was their duty to destroy his kind.

That fact he was raised with had shattered to millions of pieces when he realized the miko had not only saved his life, but was also the adoptive mother of an orphaned kitsune. So if he was wrong about that, he could also be wrong about him being irresistible… Youko snorted with a smirk. Naw, he was definitely irresistible.

But that didn't necessarily mean that Kagome would agree to be his mate. Youko turned his gaze to the miko walking beside him. He was surprised when she had threatened him but still let his tail rest around her waist under her shirt. He smirked. She had a weakness for soft ears and tails. Maybe he could tease her later with them just so he can have an excuse to make her touch him.

Oh yes, that sounded grand…

Youko had never truly admitted it but he loved having his ears stroked. It felt amazing and the thought of Kagome's soft delicate fingers massaging his ears made him shiver in delight. His tail was just as sensitive as his ears and every time he saw Kagome brushing her fingers through Shippo's tail, he always hoped that it was him sitting in her lap, brushing through his tail.

For the rest of the day, Youko wasn't quite there walking with the rest of the group. He was busy plotting how he was going to get Kagome to stroke his ears and tail and at the same time find out if she understood what he meant by potential mate. Just as the sun was beginning to fall behind the mountains, Youko had figured out his entire plan. He smirked as Inuyasha announced they'd stop and make camp for the night.

* * *

After dinner and everything was cleaned up, everyone got ready for bed. Inuyasha took his usual spot up in the trees as Miroku leaned against a tree near where Sango was sleeping in her sleeping bag. Kagome set up her sleeping bag near the fire and slid inside. Once Shippo had settled himself inside the bag with her, she buried her nose in his hair and closed her eyes.

Youko sat against a tree near Kagome. He waited until everyone was sound asleep before pulling a seed from his hair. Pushing his youki into it, the seed quickly grew into a beautiful purple flower with large petals. Stealthily leaping up into Inuyasha's tree, he placed one of the large petals on top of the hanyou's head. Moving quickly but quietly, he placed a petal on each member of the group except Kagome.

Once that task was done, he made his way over to the miko. Unzipping her sleeping bag, he lifted her into his arms before covering Shippo and leaving the camp sight. Once he was several feet away, he cast a barrier around camp so the sleeping members inside would not be seen or sensed by any passing demons. Once the barrier was set, he continued walking until he came to a clearing not to far away.

Sitting in the middle of the clearing, he gently placed the slowly waking miko down on the grass and waited for her to wake. Soon her eyes opened and Kagome woke to see Youko grinning down at her. Confused, the miko sat up slowly and took a look around.

"Youko…where are we?" she asked slowly.

"A clearing not far from camp." Was his simple answer.

"And why are we here?"

"So you can train your powers." When those words reached Kagome's ears, she was immediately wide awake. She was about to thank the kitsune when she suddenly began to panic.

"Oh no!! What if Inuyasha wakes up!! He's going to throw a fit if he finds out I'm gone! Not to mention he doesn't trust you to be with me alone!" she blurted before slapping her hand over her mouth.

Youko raised a brow in her direction. "May I ask why the hanyou doesn't trust me to be alone with you?"

"No you may not ask. We have to get back to camp before Inuyasha wakes up!" she stated as she stood and began walking toward camp…wherever that was…

Youko rolled his eyes and grabbed the miko's arm before pulling her back against him. "None of them will be waking up anytime soon." He purred in her ear.

Kagome turned in his hold to glare up at him. "What did you do to them." She demanded.

"Nothing that will harm them, I merely used a flower petal that puts them in a deeper sleep." He explained.

"You do realize that putting them in a deeper sleep puts them at risk of getting attacked!!!" she yelled, trying to escape his hold.

"Will you calm down?! I placed a barrier around them! They are safe." He growled. Kagome stopped struggling and looked down in pity. She should have known better. Youko knew she would worry about her friends, so of course he planned for them to be completely safe while she was gone.

"I'm sorry Youko…"

The kitsune huffed before sitting, pulling the miko down with him. He ordered her to sit across from him and waited as she did so.

"Alright, so we know that your powers are linked to your emotions for now. Once you have learned complete control of your powers, you can summon them at anytime you wish."

"So they are connected to my emotions cause I don't know how to control them? And the only way the power comes to me is if I'm in a certain mood?"

"Correct. So once you have a firm hold on them, you will not have to rely on your mood to bring forth your power."

"Ok so how do I gain control over them?"

"First you must learn to control your emotions. Control your emotions and you have the basic control of your powers." He explained as he twitched his ear slightly. A small smirk spread across his face when he noticed her gaze was directed at his ears.

"So how do I control me emotions?" she asked, trying to avert her gaze from his tempting ears.

"Meditation." He answered as he twitched his ear once more. "Now, I want you to close your eyes and relax."

Taking a deep breath, the miko did as she was told.

"Now think of what makes you really angry, something that makes your blood boil."

Kagome smirked, that would be easy. The miko began thinking of Inuyasha. She thought back about how much he insulted her and hurt Shippo. How he would hold the poor kit but his tail in midair and hit him all the time. She felt her hands clench into fists as she continued thinking of the hanyou. How he would run off to see Kikyou when he thought she was sleeping.

She felt her body temperature rising and heart rate quicken. This was the same feeling she felt when she was able to form that spark, but this feeling was much stronger. Before, she was just frustrated or disappointed, right now she was pissed and Kagome could feel the power flowing through her veins.

Slowly, Kagome opened her eyes and lifted her hand in front of her. Opening her fist, she concentrated on focusing her power into her palm and almost fell over in shock when a burst of flame ignited in her hand. Kagome and Youko stared at the blue purification ball of fire in shock. It was much larger than that little spark she was able to summon before; this was more like a flame.

Youko didn't think she would be able to summon her powers this first try but was proven wrong once more as he stared at the burning flame positioned in the miko's palm. That was twice this miko had proven him wrong, and she didn't even know it. Youko smiled when the miko laughed.

"Oh my goodness... I did it!!" she cheered. Closing her hand into a fist, the flame disappeared and she sent the kitsune sitting across from her a big smile. She saw his ears twitching again and just couldn't hold back any longer.

Youko was quite surprised when the miko dove for his ears, effectively tackling him to the ground. He had never seen her move so fast and was caught by surprise so couldn't prepare himself for her. It didn't matter though, his plan had worked out better than he expected. Kagome was now lying on top of him stroking his ears and it was turning him on quite quickly.

Kagome smiled to herself as she softly stroked Youko's velvety ears. A loud rumbling sounded from his chest and pulled her back to reality. She briefly noticed she was lying on top of the gorgeous kitsune as she stopped stroking his ears and giggled.

"Were you purring?" she laughed.

Youko frowned as his ears drooped slightly. "I am a fox, therefore I do not _purr._"

Kagome reached up and stroked his ears again until the rumbling sounded once again. "Sounds like purring to me cat demon." She giggled. Suddenly the miko found herself pinned to the ground by said 'cat' demon.

"I am not a cat demon." He growled playfully.

"Oh really? How do I know? That purring sounded pretty catlike to me." She laughed.

"Because cats are terrible in the art of seduction, whereas I, my vixen, am a master." He smirked before leaning down and licking her cheek playfully.

Kagome blushed slightly before rolling her eyes. "You can't be that great at seduction if a mere human could escape your spell."

Youko snorted before a smirk played across his lips. "Would you like me to test it on you once more? I'm certain this time I will not fail seeing as I now know you are more mentally powerful than I had first expected."

Kagome's blush darkened at the thought of Youko trying his seduction on her again. Flashbacks of what had happened the first time surfaced and she was sure he would not fail this time around. And if he did not fail…how far would he go with her? Her blush darkened even further as she shook her head vigorously.

"I'll pass on that one…" she muttered.

The kitsune grinned in triumph. "That's what I thought. Now then, on to more important business, I have a question for you my little miko."

"Ok…ask away." She said hesitantly.

"Did you know what I meant when I said potential mate?" he asked straight forward.

Kagome's blush returned full blast as she slowly nodded her head.

Youko smirked. "Good, now the question is if you accept my claim."

Before Kagome decided what she was going to answer, she went over what Sango had told her once more. A potential mate was a female chosen by a male demon to be his mate. When the demon placed a claim on the female, it was merely a mark that told other demons that the female was under the protection of that male and that he had taken claim of her.

A claim wasn't completely mated yet because other demons could still place a claim on the female as well. A claim was a bite mark that was placed at the junction of the neck and shoulder. If another male wanted to place a claim on that female, then he would place his bite mark just above the previous one, stating that he had marked her the most recently. Once the female accepted one of the males that claimed her, they would begin the official mating ritual which included a deeper bite mark and getting intimate and going all the way...

Kagome sighed. So if she accepted Youko's desire to claim her, he would place his mark on her but she still had the choice to be with another if she did not want to be with him. Kagome stared up into the kitsune's eyes. He was waiting patiently for her answer as he stared down at her, still lying on top of her. She knew what her answer was, but before she told him, she desperately needed to know why he wanted to claim her in the first place.

"Why do you even want to place a claim on me?"

Youko smiled, as if he was expecting that question. "You are different, unique. Never before have I known a human, especially a miko to take in an orphan of my kind. Even some female kitsunes don't take in orphans because they can be a handful. Your just so…perfect… you don't judge a person or demon by what they have done in their past or what race they are but by who they are inside. The hanyou warned you that I was the most well known thief in all of Japan yet you allowed me to travel with your group.

"Not to mention any other human that came across an injured demon would either kill it or just leave it there to die. I owe my life to you…" he explained.

"But I'm nothing but a weak untrained human…I can't even keep myself out of trouble for more than a day." She muttered.

"You are not weak, untrained perhaps for now but most definitely not weak."

Kagome sighed. "Promise to help me with my training?"

"Promise." He smiled.

"And to help Shippo train too?" she added in with a big pleading smile.

Youko chuckled. "Yes, I'll help him too."

Kagome smiled. "Ok then…I accept."

Youko smirked before pinning her hands at her sides, holding them down with his legs. Kagome's surprised and confused eyes darted around, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Youko!! Let go!!" she demanded.

"I don't think so." He growled playfully as he pressed his lips against hers. Kagome stared up at Youko in complete and utter shock. She was completely aware of his wandering hands sliding from her waist up further. She felt his tail wrap itself around her waist as his fingers played with the edge of her bra. She gasped when he moved his hands over her breast and began massaging them. He took complete advantage of her gasp and drove his tongue past her lips to deepen the kiss.

Kagome couldn't think straight. The feelings, the needs, the desire, it was all too much for her. She had never felt so good in her life. She barely noticed that Youko had stopped kissing her and had moved toward her neck. He nuzzled her softly as he continued to knead her breasts. Slowly, his tail unwrapped itself from her waist and traveled lower. It pressed against her inner thigh, successfully making the miko arch herself up against him further.

Once he knew she was completely lost, Youko sunk his fangs lightly into her flesh. He knew she was thrown right back to reality when he felt her entire body tense and heard her soft whimper. He moved his tail back up to wrap around her waist to comfort her as he placed his hands on either side of her to hold himself up so he wouldn't squish her. Once she calmed a little, he removed his fangs and softly licked up any blood that dripped from the wound.

Kagome let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Closing her eyes, she took deep breaths to calm herself. That hurt more than she had expected and now it made sense to her why Youko was…distracting her. He wanted her completely unaware of when he was going to place his mark because he knew it would hurt her.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Yea…that hurt worst than I thought it would. Thank you for distracting me." She smiled.

"Distracting you?" he asked, lifting himself up slightly so he could look down at her in confusion.

"You mean…oh you jerk!!! I thought you were doing _that_ to distract me from the pain!!" she yelled.

Youko chuckled. "Relax, I was merely teasing. Though I could have thought of many other ways to distract you, that one appealed to me the most." He grinned.

She rolled her eyes before pushing him off of her and standing, muttering about perverted kitsunes that couldn't keep it in their pants. Youko chuckled as he followed her back to camp. Once they got back, he agreed to begin Shippo's training the next day as they removed the purple petals from everyone. Before returning to her sleeping bag, Kagome kissed Youko on the cheek goodnight.

* * *

He could smell it. It was very faint, but the scent was there nonetheless. He could smell a miko nearby. The purity that flooded her scent disgusted him to the point of gagging. The miko was near…he was so close to getting his revenge. Taking a deep breath so as to remember the scent for him to track, he also caught another smell.

This one worried him. It was Youko Kurama. Did the miko injure him? He could not smell the kitsune's blood anywhere nearby but there was still the fact that she could have merely purified him to dust. Hiei shook his head. Youko is not so weak as to die by the hand of a mere miko. Disposing of all other thoughts, Hiei continued following the miko's scent, knowing for sure that he would encounter her soon enough.

* * *

"Inuyasha! To your left!" Kagome shouted.

The hanyou leapt out of the way just in time to dodge long lethal claws aimed at his ribs. Inuyasha growled in irritation. They had been fighting off these three tiger demons for only five minutes and Inuyasha was already frustrated that he couldn't land a straight hit. To top it off, they were moving so quickly that Kagome couldn't point out the exact demon with the four shards.

Thankfully, Shippo was safe with Youko about a mile away. Just a few hours ago, Youko announced he was taking Shippo away for his first lesson. Not much later, everyone was packing their things quickly so it wouldn't get damaged when the three demons Miroku felt approaching came. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Inuyasha were all standing in a circle around Kagome to keep her safe.

* * *

He finally found the miko the scent he had been following belonged to. There was a slight problem though. She was being heavily guarded by an unusual group. It puzzled him why a monk, demon slayer, hanyou, and full demon were working together to keep a miko safe from three attacking tiger demons. There was also the fact that this could not be the miko he was looking for.

He would have to wait to see if this miko could see any shards or anything that clued to him that this was the miko he was looking for. Deciding to see how this turned out, Hiei sat back in his tree and waited patiently for his opening to snatch the miko.

* * *

"Wench! Will you hurry up and find that damn thing?! We don't got all damn day ya know!" Inuyasha growled impatiently.

"Shut up! I'm trying…" Kagome muttered as she closed her eyes and concentrated as best she could. She really wished Youko was here so he could help but she was also thankful that he wasn't because if he was here, then that meant Shippo would be in danger right now. Kagome took a deep breath and focused her complete attention on finding the four shards she could feel circling her at incredible speeds.

There! Kagome's eyes darted open as she focused completely on the one tiger that had the shards. What frightened her slightly was that her eyes were actually keeping up with the tiger's movements. Pushing aside her shock for later questioning, Kagome located exactly where the shards where.

"The female tiger! There's one female tiger and the shards are in her hips!" Kagome finally announced.

Smirking, Inuyasha leapt toward the tiger with the shards once his eyes caught her, breaking the circle of protection that kept Kagome safe. One tiger aimed straight for the miko but thankfully Sango was able to deflect the attack just in time. The slayer then continued to fight the tiger, slowly winner her battle. Kagome was left with only Kirara at her side as Miroku took on the third demon.

Kagome sighed as she leaded against the neko, watching her companions fight. Kirara nuzzled her large head against the miko's arm with a mew. Kagome smiled warmly toward the neko before averting her attention back to the fight. Suddenly Kagome felt something on the edge of her senses but before she could figure out what was wrong, the miko was knocked out.

Inuyasha heard Kirara's roar and quickly turned to see if Kagome was alright only to see the miko thrown over a demon's shoulder before they both disappeared.

"No! Kagome!!!"

* * *

Youko quickened his pace. Shippo was holding onto him tightly as the kitsune rushed back to where they had left the group. Once Youko sensed danger, he immediately grabbed the kit and dashed off. He just hoped Kagome was alright, but once he heard Inuyasha yell the miko's name, his heart dropped into his stomach.

Finally he reached the group to see Sango collecting shards from a tiger's corpse and Inuyasha angrily punching away at the ground. Kagome was nowhere to be seen and Shippo couldn't smell his mother anywhere nearby. Both kitsunes turned hard glares toward the hanyou.

"Where is Kagome." Youko demanded.

"How the hell should I know!? Some damn demon knocked her out and kidnapped her while we were fighting the tigers." Inuyasha growled angrily.

"What did this demon look like?" Youko questioned as he caught a familiar scent.

"All I saw was black clothing, that's it then he just disappeared."

Youko growled. That was Hiei for sure, but why would his partner in crime kidnap a human miko? Youko knew for a fact that the hybrid despised humans, especially mikos. So why did he take Kagome? Taking a long whiff, Youko found which direction his friend headed. As the kitsune was leaving, He felt something grab the bottom of his pants.

Stopping, Youko turned his attention down toward Shippo, who was staring up at him with tears in his eyes.

"Youko, where are you going? It's bad enough that I lost Kagome, I don't want to lose you too…" he sniffled.

"I'm going to find Kagome, don't worry kit, I'll bring her back to you." Youko grinned.

"Can I come with you please? I wanna help rescue mama." Shippo pleaded.

"Take him with you Youko, he needs to spend more time with another kitsune and helping save his mother will make him very happy." Sango smiled.

"What's the point of the runt goin with him anyway? We're gunna be right behind him!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Inuyasha, you know very well that Youko will find Kagome much faster than we can ever hope to. You have us humans dragging you down; Youko would merely have to carry Shippo." Miroku explained.

"Yea, whatever. Take the runt, maybe it'll be quieter around here." Inuyasha huffed in irritation.

Rolling his eyes at the arrogant hanyou, Youko picked Shippo up off the ground and dashed off in the direction he smelt Hiei went. Unfortunately for him, Hiei's speed gave him an exceptional head start. In fact, the hybrid could be all the way across Japan by morning whereas he wouldn't even make it half way. Youko sighed; he just hoped Hiei wouldn't hurt Kagome because if he did…their friendship would not be the only thing severed.

* * *

Darkness. Darkness and a sharp pain at the back of her head. It almost felt like someone took a baseball bat to her head. Slowly, Kagome sat up rubbing her sore head. Opening her eyes, she waited for her eyes to focus. It was night already? How long was she out for? Wait…why was she knocked out in the first place? Confused and slightly scared, Kagome raised her gaze to see a demon sitting against a tree across from her. He was glaring at her as if she had done something to offend him.

He was pretty good looking from what she could see. Tanned skin, muscular body, breathtaking ruby red eyes, and silky soft looking black hair. He was dressed in all black and had a katana strapped to his side. Kagome could feel he was a demon, but was confused on what exactly he was. Concentrating on his aura, she tried to find out what kind of demon he was when she heard him growl.

Freezing where she was, Kagome merely stared at him unemotionally. His glare seemed to have intensified and his hand moved to grip the hilt of his katana. Not sure what she should do or if she was even in danger, Kagome smiled.

"Um, could you tell me where I am?"

"You can see the sacred jewel shards, can you not?" the demon demanded instead. Kagome tensed. How did he know that? If he was asking about the jewel shards, then she was definitely in trouble.

"Uhhh…no?"

Kagome panicked as she suddenly found herself pinned to the ground with a sharp blade pressed against her neck.

"Do not lie to me miko." He growled.

Kagome took a long shaky breath as she tried to figure out what to do.

Hiei could smell her fear, but what confused him was he also smelt her slight arousal. And the fear he could smell was very faint, almost barely there. He stared down at the miko. She didn't seem scared at all, instead, it seemed she was trying to think of a way to escape with her life. Of course it was much easier to understand the miko since he could hear her stray panicked thoughts with his jagan.

There was also the scent of his comrade Youko all over this miko. His skilled eyes caught sight of the bite mark on her neck and inwardly growled in frustration. He now knew that he could not kill the onna. If he did, Youko would surely hunt him down. Of course, just because he knew he couldn't kill her, didn't mean he couldn't allow her to think he could.

Kagome inwardly groaned. She couldn't try to purify him because she didn't practice enough to bring forth her power at command. It would take too long to concentrate and by the time she was even close to ready, he would already have figured out what she was doing and probably killed her. So instead, Kagome decided to take a different route and see where it took her.

She was sure he wasn't going to kill her because Kagome knew he kidnapped her. So this must be almost exactly like when Kouga first kidnapped her. He had taken her so she could find the jewel shards for him and now this demon was asking if she could see the jewel shards. He must have kidnapped her so she can find shards for him. Though in her opinion, he seemed strong enough already.

"Yes, I can sense the sacred jewel shards. Have you kidnapped me so I can find them for you?" she asked slowly.

Snorting, the demon leapt off her and returned to his original position against the tree. "I am in no need of more power, even if I did, I would not use a cursed jewel to do so."

Kagome was shocked. This was the second demon in the past month she had encountered that didn't want the jewel because they thought it was a cheat way to gain power. Was this guy related to Youko? Of course he wasn't, but it was rare that she found demons that weren't after the jewel.

"So if you don't want the jewel then why did you kidnap me?"

"Naraku is in search of you for your power to see the shards."

Kagome was thoroughly confused now. So was he protecting her? "That still does not explain why you kidnapped me."

"Naraku will come for you and I will have my revenge." He answered.

Kagome glared at him. So he was using her as bait. What a jerk. But wait…if Naraku was after her power to see the jewel, then he would go after Kikyou if he knew it was too dangerous to go after her.

"How do you know I am the one Naraku is after?"

"There is only one miko that can see the jewel onna, now stop asking stupid questions."

"That is where you are wrong. There is another miko that can see the shards."

Hiei snapped his attention to the miko. "Explain."

"Let me up and maybe I'll tell you."

Hiei growled. "Hn, nice try miko, you're not escaping."

Kagome groaned. He didn't believe her. Well that was to be expected since there is _supposed _to only be one miko who can see the shards. Great, so now she was stuck with a hot tempered demon that most likely wouldn't even think twice about killing her. Kagome sighed.

'Someone…please find me…'

* * *

A/N:

And there's the second chapter ^_^ Hoped you all enjoyed it. The next chapter will be following this one quite fast seeing as I have found a lot of time to myself lately since classes haven't started just yet. Once college starts up though, my updates will be taking longer… so sorry for that bad news. But anyway, R&R. Love your reviews, hope you like my new fic so far. ^_^

*~Icyfire~*

Next Chapter – Chapter 3: Frozen Heart


	3. Frozen Heart

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 3: Frozen Heart

Kagome glared at the demon walking ahead of her. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape him. It was like he could read her thoughts and knew exactly what she was going to do! She had tried making the excuse that she had to use the bathroom, but he saw right through that one. Her attempt to just run for it didn't work out either. She was quite surprised to see how fast this demon was.

Kagome sighed. How was she going to get out of this mess? How did she even get in it in the first place? She knew that Naraku was most likely hunting down Kikyou, not her. But how did this demon even find out the evil hanyou was searching for the miko who could see the shards? Kagome had tried talking to him, asking his name, or why he had kidnapped her but he merely ignored her.

To top it all off, she was getting really tired. Her mind was in overdrive and they had been walking all day. It was already pitch dark out and they were still walking! Kagome was about ready to collapse. She hadn't the slightest clue of where they were headed or when he planned on taking a break. But she sure hoped he'd stop soon, or the miko was sure she would pass out. Not to mention she desperately wanted to take a bath.

Suddenly he stopped sat down against the base of a tree without a word. Hoping this was where they were stopping for the night, Kagome collapsed to the ground with a sigh. She quickly fell asleep despite the fact that she was sleeping on the cold hard ground.

Kagome woke with a start only several hours later. She had a terrible dream that Naraku had attacked her family in the future and she couldn't save them in time. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kagome glanced over toward her caper. She was delighted to see he had fallen asleep.

As quietly as she possibly could, Kagome stood before dashing off away from the demon. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get far. Something stopped her dead in her tracks, forcing her to fall to the ground. Confused and beyond irritated, the miko's gaze flung to her ankle only to see a rope tied around it. Following the rope, she was disappointed to see the other end tied to the demon's ankle, and who was now standing over her growling his displeasure.

Kagome was pissed. She couldn't sleep not only because of her nightmares but also from having to sleep on the cold ground. Her body ached, she was hungry, tired, and she missed her friends. Not to mention this demon ignoring her was grading on her last nerve.

Clenching her hands into tight fists, Kagome didn't even need to concentrate this time to call forth her purification flame. Since she was far angrier now than she was when Youko was practicing with her, the purification engulfed her entire fist, the flames licking at the skin of her wrists. Standing with an angry glare aimed at the demon, she threw a punch at him.

This only served to anger her further because the demon merely grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back before pushing her to the ground with little effort. Kagome struggled to get loose but he held her there firmly, tightening his grip on her wrist slightly.

"Dispose of the purification miko and I might let you go." He growled.

"Make me you stupid demon." Kagome growled, quite well for a human too.

Glaring down at her, Hiei pulled her arm farther up, effectively getting a groan of pain from the miko. "I will not hesitate to kill you miko."

"Then kill me! Why torment me like this?! You don't even have the right miko!!" Kagome yelled angrily. Hiei was about to reply by pulling her arm up further when she suddenly tensed and her purification completely disappeared. Her eyes widened as she began to panic.

"Get off of me!"

"You will learn your place miko, now shut your mouth."

"You don't get it!! Naraku is coming! GET OFF ME YOU IDIOT!!" she screamed. Hiei stared at the miko in surprise. How was it possible that she could sense that vile hanyou before he could? Moving quickly, Hiei leapt off of her and spread his senses out further. Sure enough, he could feel Naraku heading this way. Unsheathing his katana, Hiei waited for the hanyou to finally grace him with his presence.

Kagome leapt to her feet and stood behind the demon. This had to be the real Naraku because she could feel half of the jewel coming at them. If it wasn't for the large piece of the jewel he possessed, Kagome surely would not have been able to feel him coming from such a far distance. Not more than five second later, the evil hanyou himself appeared before them. His disgustingly proud smirk spread across his face.

"What do you want Naraku!?" Kagome growled, stepping out from behind the demon that kidnapped her.

"You know what I want little miko, so why don't you just hand over your shards."

Hiei turned to stare at her in surprise. She has shards? How did he not realize that sooner?

"Over my dead body you twisted freak." Kagome spat angrily. Naraku shook his head slowly.

"Dear Kagome, I was considering to spare your life but it seems I have no choice but to take it, along with the shards." He smirked as a tentacle suddenly shot straight toward her. Before Kagome could blink, the tentacle was cut in half and Hiei was standing in front of her. Did he just save her?

"It would be in your best interest to stay out of the way hybrid." Naraku growled toward Hiei.

"It would be in your best interest to leave the irritating miko along. Your fight is with me you disgusting half breed." Hiei snarled.

"You have no room to talk forbidden, you do not belong in the living world." Naraku laughed as he sent forth dozen of tentacles. Little did they know, while Hiei was occupied but Naraku, Kagura was sneaking up behind Kagome. The miko had no clue until she heard the wind witch speak.

"Dance of Blades!"

What happened next shocked everyone present. As if she had done it millions of times, Kagome pushed off the floor with her powerful legs into a back hand spring, effectively dodging Kagura's attack. After landing perfectly on her feet, Kagome stared at the ground in pure shock. What the heck just happened? Did she really just do that?

"I'm not sure how you did that miko, but I won't miss this time." Kagura threw another attack toward the miko and Kagome froze where she stood. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the impact, but none came. Slowly opening her eyes, Kagome saw that Naraku was fleeing once again, but this time sporting a deep bleeding wound. Kagura was right behind him.

Looking to where the wind witch's attack was supposed to hit her, she found the demon, bleeding profusely. He had thrown himself in the way of the attack. He saved her? Why? He fell to the ground before quickly loosing consciousness from the loss of blood.

Hiei woke to feeling something cold and wet on his forehead. His eyes flung open as he made to sit up only to be stopped by not only a burning pain, but also a pair of small warm hands. His attention turned to the owner of those delicate hands as she slowly pushed him back to lie down. He was quite surprised to see the miko sitting there next to him.

Looking down toward where he felt his pain, he noticed his shirt was missing and his wounds were cleaned and bandaged tightly. Turning his attention back to the miko, he watched in confusion as she rinsed the blood from her hands. He was surprised she was still here. He had expected her to run away since that was her opportune moment to do so. What confused him further was the fact that she had treated his wounds for him.

"Why?"

The miko turned to look at him in question, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you still here." He elaborated.

"You were injured. I wasn't going to just leave you there to die after you saved me." She snorted. "Why did you jump in front of Kagura's attack?"

"You are more use to me alive." He answered emotionlessly.

"Well same goes for you; you're more use to me alive. I mixed together a pain reliever because Kagura's attacks tend to get pretty deep. Your wounds are quite deep and they might hurt if you move around too much." She explained as she sat next to him.

"Why would you go through all this trouble? Why not merely let me suffer?" Hiei asked. He was so confused. This miko was so odd and different it left his head spinning. He was a forbidden child, not meant to be cared for or worried over yet here was this miko, who was supposed to be a demon's worst enemy, going through the trouble of mixing herbs to be sure he didn't feel much pain.

"Because you protected me stupid. Is it that hard to believe that I helped heal you in exchanged for you saving me? Not to mention you could have killed me a long time ago, but you still haven't so you can't be all that bad." She muttered.

Hiei stared at the miko as if she had lost her mind. He had only let her live because she was more use to him alive than dead and because of Youko's claim on her. If the miko was dead then there would be no point in Naraku coming after her because her power to see the shards would be gone. Not to mention Youko would be out for his life.

Kagome stared down at the demon. He seemed completely confused about something. Kagome felt a stab of guilt hit her. Naraku had called him a forbidden didn't he? Hadn't Sango told her something about forbidden demons? Oh yea, they were demons with opposing elements, like fire and ice or earth and wind.

According to Sango, most forbidden children were killed and hunted by both humans and demons alike, pretty much like hanyous but ten times worst. These forbidden demons had to deal with the pain of their opposing elements constantly fighting for dominance over the body. Kagome guessed that he was most likely fire and ice from how warm his skin felt when she was treating his wound.

That must be why he was so confused by her kindness. He probably hadn't ever been cared for in such a way and wasn't sure on how to react to it now. Kagome sighed quietly. The poor guy, he seemed all fired up and tough on the outside, but inside, his frozen heart yearned for someone to care. Kagome bet that he had an even harder life than Inuyasha did. He was probably fighting to survive throughout all his life.

Kagome shuttered. She couldn't even imagine how terrible it would be to be hated by every living thing in the world just because of the blood that ran through your veins. That's probably why he was so cruel and cold. Kagome stared down at the demon with a small smile.

"Could you at least tell me your name?" she pleaded.

Hiei stared up at the miko in complete confusion, but answered her nonetheless. "Hiei."

Smiling, Kagome moved closer to the hybrid and lifted his head. She felt him tense as she rested his head in her lap and leaned her back against a tree directly behind her.

"Alright then Hiei, you need to rest. Ill stay up and keep watch." She smiled.

Hiei stared up at her as if she had a second head. What was wrong with this miko? She was weird… beyond strange. Hiei wasn't sure how he should react, so decided since she had taken care of him for the time he was unconscious, that he could take a light nap to regain some energy so he could heal faster. Closing his eyes, Hiei fell asleep to the smell of cherry blossoms.

* * *

"Are we almost there?" Shippo asked impatiently.

"Yes kit, Kagome is close." Youko answered.

He could smell her amazingly rare cherry blossom scent growing stronger, but the smell of blood also increased the closer he got to the miko. Worry began to build as he neared his potential mate. All he could do was hope that Kagome hadn't been her usual stubborn self and pissed off Hiei because unlike him, Hiei would not hesitate to kill her.

Maybe Hiei was the one injured? That could be it too, but that meant that Kagome had been or still was in danger if the hybrid was hurt. There was the possibility that Hiei caught the scent of his claim on the miko and is keeping her under his protection, but why did he take Kagome in the first place?

Shrugging his thoughts to the side for the time being, Youko concentrated on locating his vixen and the kit's mother.

* * *

Hiei woke with a start when his senses screamed danger was approaching. His eyes shot open and he was surprised to find the miko no longer sitting near him. Instead, she was standing in front of him with a bow, an arrow notched and ready to be fired. Was she protecting him? And where in the hell did she find that bow?

Speaking of the bow, did she honestly think that a measly arrow would actually kill a demon? Hiei was about to stand when he heard the miko order him to stay where he was in a quite stern voice. Hiei turned a glare up to the miko. Who did this wench think she was? Ordering him around like a child. He snorted and stood anyway, making a mental note to set that miko straight and make sure she knew where she stood when it came to authority.

Hiei only realized now how weak he was. He had lost a lot more energy than he first suspected. He was quite irritated when he found he could not spread his senses further to locate the danger. Reaching for his sword, he unsheathed it and stepped in front of the miko.

"Onna, that arrow will do nothing to protect you." He snorted.

Kagome smirked as she lowered her weapon before moving to stand in front of Hiei again. As he was about to move, Kagome backed up so her back was barely touching the hybrid's chest. Smiling innocently, she bumped him with her backside. Hiei was pushed all the way back toward the tree he was resting under. Growling, he was about to beat the little miko when she suddenly tensed.

"MAMA!!!!" echoed through the trees as Kagome dropped her weapon. Hiei watched as she positioned herself with one foot behind the other, as if she were waiting for a large impact that she would need to prepare herself for so she would not fall. He was surprised when a red kitsune came rushing at her, jumping at full speed toward the miko.

Kagome giggled as Shippo collided with her chest. The kit hugged her as tight as he could, tears running down his cheeks. Kagome held him close before prying him from her.

"Shippo, how did you find me? Someone better be somewhere behind you. Everyone knows better than to let you travel on your own." Kagome stated, her anger slowly growing.

"Calm down vixen. Did you honestly think I would let the kit off by himself?"

Kagome looked up to see Youko smirking in her direction. Too glad to see him to be angry, the miko ran at him, hugging him tightly.

"Well if you miss me that much…" Kagome suddenly found herself pressed against a tree, the notorious thief himself pinning her in place with his usual smirk on his handsome face. They heard a growl and both turned their attention to the hybrid glaring at Youko.

"Ah, Hiei, so nice to see you." The kitsune grinned as he let the miko free.

"You know each other?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I could ask the same question of you and the fox onna." Hiei growled. The hybrid wasn't sure why, but it angered him to see Youko all over the miko. He was confused on why he was growling as well. Why was he angry to find out the miko and fox knew each other and seem quite close? He had seen and smelt the claim Youko had placed on her, so why did it bother him? It didn't matter; he wasn't going to see the miko once she was of no use to him anyway right?

"It's a kinda long story of how we met." Kagome smiled sheepishly.

"Well Hiei and I on occasion team up for raids." Youko explained.

The miko nodded with a smile of understanding and Hiei was only more confused. This pure human accepted the fact that they were both thieves? What has this world come to? Has hell frozen over? Either the world was being plunged into complete chaos or he was just losing his mind. He never thought he would see the day that Youko would communicate with a mere human. A miko no less!

"Now Hiei, may I ask why you kidnapped Kagome?" Youko turned a questioning yet accusing stare toward his companion.

"Naraku is after the miko's ability to see the jewel. The bastard stole from me." Hiei scowled.

Youko chuckled. "Ah, I see. So you figure that if you have the miko then he will come to you?"

"Hn." The hybrid snorted.

"I already told him that I'm not the miko Naraku is after. He's most likely after Kikyou."

"Your incarnation?" Youko questioned.

Kagome turned a surprised look to the kitsune. "How did you know that?"

"Sorry Kagome…it was a long trip to find you and I got bored…" Shippo murmured as he pushed a rock around with his foot in shame.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well I guess sooner or later he would have to find out the truth. How much did you tell him?"

"Just about everything." Youko answered for the kit as he turned his serious gaze toward the miko. "Why did you not tell me you are from the future?"

Kagome sighed. She could see Hiei staring at her in curiosity from the corner of her eye and she knew there was no way out of this one. "If Naraku were to find out that I'm from the future…he might try to find a way to get there."

"But Kagome, no one but you and Inuyasha can get through the well." Shippo piped up.

"We are not completely sure of that Shippo…remember when Inuyasha took the shards from me and threw me down the well to my time? I couldn't get back because I didn't have the shards."

"So the jewel shards are the key to traveling back to your time?" Youko asked.

"I think so, that's the only way it has been working anyway." Kagome pondered.

"This also explains those unusual yet delicious foods you have." Youko mused.

"Yes, now can we change the subject? I'm not comfortable with talking about this…Naraku has many connections and could be listening to us." The miko stated, her alert and slightly terrified eyes examining the surrounding area.

"Alright, let's make camp here for the night. Inuyasha and the others should catch up with us soon enough" Youko announced before disappearing into the darkness. He returned several minutes later with wood and a dozen fish. Kagome's eyes lit up with joy at the sight of the fish and sprung up from her spot near Shippo. Sitting next to Youko, she began cooking the fish after he started the fire.

Hiei stood to the side as he watched the miko and kitsune make dinner. It was quite obvious that the kitsune held affection for the miko. He was still confused as to why it angered him so. Trying to take his mind off of his anger, he thought back on his battle with Naraku. That's when he remembered what happened and turned a curious gaze to the miko.

"Onna, how did you….dodge the wind witch's attack?"

Seeing as she was the only 'onna' present, Kagome figured the hybrid was talking to her. She thought back on what had happened and shrugged her shoulders. "I honestly have no clue. I saw the attack coming at me and it was as if instinct kicked in. I didn't even know I could do a back handspring."

"Kagome, what's a back handspring?" Shippo piped up.

Kagome smiled down at her kit. "It's a flip that gymnasts do. It's kind of like a back flip, but you flip backward onto your hands and push off from your arms to land on your feet."

"Could you show me?" he asked with pleading eyes.

Kagome shook her head. "If I could, I would sweetie, but I don't even know how I did it in the first place."

"Seemed like you knew what you were doing when you did it." Hiei snorted.

Kagome turned a glare toward him. "I already told you, I don't know how I did it."

Deciding to change the subject before the miko got too wound up; Youko spoke a question he had been meaning to ask. "What is a Gymnast?"

"In my time, they are athletes that perform flips. It is a sport of balance and strength." Kagome explained.

"Perhaps you were a gymnast in your younger years?" the kitsune supplied.

"I doubt it. I'm the clumsiest person you'll ever meet. I don't even remember my childhood that well anyway. I never really though about it but from about age 7 and earlier, I can't quite remember anything. But then again, barely anyone remembers that time of their life." Kagome snorted.

Youko was about to object to her logic but decided to keep quiet for the time being. There had to be a particular reason she could not recall her childhood. Perhaps something had happened to her when she was young? He would probably never know, but something told Youko that Kagome either was or was training to become one of these 'gymnasts' from her time. Glancing toward Shippo, he could see that the kit was thinking the same thing as he stared up at the miko.

"Onna, there has to be some explanation for how you performed that flip." Hiei pushed, glaring at Kagome.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't know ok?! If I knew, I would do that back handspring again."

"Hiei, leave her be. Why don't we get some rest while we wait for everyone else to catch up?" Youko suggested

"Hn" was all Youko received as a reply as the hybrid moved to sit against a tree near the fire. It was quite clear that he was still in pain from his injuries and rest is all he needed to regain his strength. Turning his gaze to his potential mate, he frowned slightly. The miko was currently nestling herself next to the fire with Shippo cradled in her arms.

Standing from his position, the kitsune made his way over to the miko. Standing over Kagome, he stared down at her with hurt and disappointment shining in his eyes.

Kagome turned her gaze up toward the sky when a large shadow cast over her. Staring up into Youko's amazing golden eyes, she smiled. "Yes?"

"I refuse to allow you to sleep on the cold hard ground." He simply stated before lifting her into his arms. Kagome panicked slightly for a moment and tightened her grip on the sleeping kit in her arms as Youko carried her over to a tree near the fire, across from Hiei.

She wasn't sure what he meant when he said that he wasn't going to let her sleep on the cold ground. There was nothing in the surrounding area that was softer than the ground. So what exactly did the kitsune have in mind? Kagome blushed darkly when Youko sat with his back against the tree and settled her in his lap, her back against his firm yet soft chest.

Looking up to him in question, he merely grinned down at her as his silky tail wrapped around her right thigh and he rested his arms across her waist. Kagome rolled her eyes but didn't complain. She had to admit that lying in his lap, leaning against his perfect chest was a thousand times better than sleeping on the forest floor.

Her gaze wandered over to the hybrid resting against the tree across their small camp. He always seemed so angry and cold hearted. Seeing as he was a forbidden child, Kagome figured he probably had quite a hard life… similar to Inuyasha's but most likely ten times worst. Hiei may seem deadly and cruel on the outside, but Kagome knew that somewhere deep down in that frozen heart of his, he yearned for affection… someone to love and care for him.

Her attention returned to Youko when his grip tightened around her slightly. She felt safe in his arms, as if nothing could ever harm her. Hugging Shippo close to her chest, she inhaled his delightful scent of burning leaves and sighed in contentment. Relaxing completely against Youko, Kagome let herself fall into a light sleep so she could produce energy for the day. She had a feeling it was going to be a loooong day once the irate hanyou found them.

* * *

Sango sighed as she stared down at the dark, almost black, Shikon shards as she tiredly followed the grouchy hanyou. They had been walking all day at a quite fast pace without any breaks. She was sure that Youko and Shippo had found Kagome by now, she wasn't sure how she knew that, but she just had a feeling her sister like friend was safe.

The slayer continued to stare down at the evil clouded shards that lay in the palm of her hand. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she felt angry. Flashbacks of Naraku killing her family by taking control of Kohaku flooded through her mind as they traveled. Her mood was slowly darkening. Pushing back her anger, Sango clenched her fist around the tainted shards tightly, trying to calm her boiling blood.

Finally Inuyasha announced that he caught wind of Kagome's scent and she sighed in relief. Her relief was quickly dispersed once Miroku and Inuyasha quickened their pace. Glaring daggers at the backs of the two men, she ran after them.

* * *

Kagome was pulled from the comfort of sleep when she felt two jewel shards headed toward them. She was about to stand and wake everyone when a pair of strong arms and a silky soft tail stopped her. Looking behind her, Youko was grinned down at her.

"Calm down, it's only the others." He reassured.

Sighing in relief, Kagome relaxed back against Youko's firm chest and closed her eyes. She knew that if Inuyasha saw her like this, lying in Youko's lap, he would flip out but for some reason she didn't care at the moment. She was so comfortable and felt so warm and protected that she didn't want to move, even if she did have to hear an ear full from the irate hanyou.

Of course, just as she suspected, once Inuyasha cleared the trees and his eyes landed on her, he blew up.

"Wench! What the hell do you think you're doing?! First you let yourself get kidnapped without even trying to fight back and now you're giving yourself to the weasel?! You disgust me. I don't know how a demon could even want such a weak and pathetic human like you!"

Tears stung at Kagome's eyes as her body shook with her sobs. The miko was about to leap up and run off when Youko's snarl scared her stiff. Turning slightly, she could see that said kitsune was so angry; his eyes were beginning to bleed a red tint. Thinking that Youko would be the one to beat the living crap out of Inuyasha at the moment, everyone was shocked out of their minds when a large boomerang was suddenly rushing toward the hanyou. Leaping out of the way just in time, Inuyasha glared toward Sango.

"What the hell is wrong with you Sango?!"

The slayer merely glared at him angrily as she caught her large weapon and threw it at him once more. Miroku quickly moved away from the angry woman and slowly made his way to Kagome's side. Once he was near her, the miko looked up at him in confusion.

"I'm not sure what is wrong with Sango but she hasn't been herself all day. She's been…moody I guess you could say." The mink explained.

"Maybe she is sick of listening to that damn hanyou insult Kagome and is trying to teach him a lesson." Youko snarled angrily.

Kagome reached behind her and grabbed hold of the kitsune's hand. Holding it tightly, she turned a comforting smile up toward him before turning back to Miroku.

"I'm sure she will be fine. Miroku, could you give me the shards from the tiger demons? They need to be purified."

"I don't have them…Sango has been holding onto them all day…"

Realization hit them like a speeding bus as panic flooded through them. Both Kagome and Miroku sprung up from where they were seated and turned toward the fight. After watching for only a few seconds, they could easily see that Sango wasn't just trying to hurt Inuyasha, she was trying to kill him.

"Miroku! You need to get the shards away from her! They must have possessed her or something." Kagome explained quickly as the monk ran toward Sango. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that the slayer cared who was in her way because once Miroku stepped in front of her; she unsheathed her sword and began attacking Miroku.

Inuyasha sported quite a few injuries already and was leaning against a tree, trying to regain some energy. "How the hell did she get so strong?" he panted as he watched the slayer attack Miroku without holding back.

Miroku was confused when he couldn't find the shards. They were no where to be found on her! He was skilled enough to dodge her attacks and sift through her pockets but not skilled enough to get out completely unharmed.

"Kagome! I can't find the shards!"

Confused, the miko concentrated on locating the shards. Once she found them, she knew it was going to be hard to get the shards back.

"Miroku! Get out of there! The shards are in her hand! They've imbedded themselves into her skin and are influencing her actions!"

"Then how the hell are we supposed to get the shards back?" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome sighed and turned to Youko. He stared up at her in question as she placed Shippo in his lap and refused to look him in the eyes. She turned back around and before anyone could stop her, Kagome ran toward the fight. Miroku turned his confused gaze toward her, which she ignored. Moving quickly, Kagome grabbed Sango from behind and pulled her into a tight hug. Holding her tightly, the miko pushed her purification into Sango to purify the tainted shards within her.

Unfortunately, before her purification reached the shards, Sango had maneuvered her sword so that she stabbed it behind her, successfully impaling her sword deep into Kagome's stomach. Silence filled the air as Kagome's powers reached and purified the shards. Once they were clear of darkness, they removed themselves from Sango's skin and dropped to the ground.

Sango looked around in confusion. Everyone was staring at her in complete shock, unable to move. Looking down, she realized her sword was positioned in her hand in a way that confused her. What had happened? Pulling her sword, Sango's heart dropped into her stomach when she felt resistance. Turning slowly, she almost fainted at the sight she saw.

Behind her, on the brink of losing consciousness, was Kagome. Her sword impaled deeply into her miko friend's stomach. Tears trailed down her cheeks as Kagome smiled up at her reassuringly.

"I'm fine Sango… don't cry." Just as those last words left her lips, she fainted.

* * *

Youko stared down at Kagome in worry. Sango was able to pull herself out of her shock long enough to try her best to stop Kagome's wound from bleeding. All the slayer could do was wrap the wound tightly to slow the bleeding and the miko had yet to awaken. Being demons, Inuyasha, Shippo, Youko, and Hiei could easily tell Kagome had lost too much blood.

Oddly enough, Inuyasha and the others were so worried about Kagome that they didn't even notice, nor care who or why Hiei was there. The hybrid was slightly thankful for that because he wasn't in the mood to explain why he had taken the miko in the first place. Youko was seated on the ground, Kagome's head resting in his lap, as he stared down at her.

Inuyasha was sitting next to her, trying to think of what they could do to help their friend. Inuyasha knew very well that Kagome had lost far too much blood. They had been so shocked that it had taken them all too much time to react and stop the miko from bleeding to death. Now they were paying for their delay because Kagome was slowly dying.

Sango held her face in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she raked her mind trying to think of how to save Kagome's life. It was her fault….all her fault that Kagome was on the brink of death right now. There had to be _something_ she could do to help her best and closest friend.

"Couldn't we just give her blood?" Shippo asked quietly.

"It isn't that simple Shippo…how would we get the blood into her veins?" Miroku asked no one in particular.

Sango suddenly sprang up from her depressed state and ran over to Kirara. "Kirara, I need you to carry Kagome and I to the well please?" the slayer asked quickly.

"Hell no! She isn't goin anywhere." Inuyasha growled at Sango as she approached Kagome's prone form.

"Inuyasha, trust me on this ok? She needs to get back to her time. I remember her telling me about her grandfather having some kind of heart problem and he was rushed to something called a hospital. She told me about all the new technology they have there and I _know_ that they will be able to heal Kagome." The slayer explained as quickly as she could.

Before anyone could say anything, Youko stood and carefully lifted Kagome into his arms. He placed the miko on the fire neko's back before turning to Sango. "I'll be right below you."

Nodding, Sango mounded up onto Kirara and requested the neko take flight. Once they were in the air, Kirara pushed to her fastest pace. Sango didn't need to look down to know that Youko, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo were following. Never the less, she glanced toward the ground and was confused when she spotted the demon dressed in all black following as well.

She wasn't sure who the demon was, but she honestly didn't really care at the moment. That's probably why no one knew who he was or why he was even there in the first place. Everyone was so worried about Kagome that they didn't even acknowledge the unknown demon among their group.

Soon, Kaede's village could be seen in the distance and Sango looked down at Kagome. She was getting worst by each passing minute. Her breathing was very shallow and her wound was still gushing blood. Blinking back her tears, she moved quickly off Kirara's back once the neko landed next to the well.

Youko and the other demon arrived first, followed by Inuyasha. Miroku and Shippo were nowhere to be seen but that didn't surprise Sango seeing as the monk is human and wouldn't be able to keep pace with three other demons. She would have to go look for them later.

Youko was preparing to lift Kagome off Kirara when Inuyasha pushed forward and lifted the miko into his arms. Youko turned a hard glare toward the hanyou as he walked toward the well with Kagome.

"Shut up weasel. I'm the only one besides Kagome that can pass through the well. Everything is up to me from here on out." Inuyasha stated before leaping into the well.

Youko glared angrily at the well. That damn hanyou wasn't sure if he was the only one besides Kagome that could pass through. Youko wanted so desperately to leap into the well just to prove that arrogant bastard he was wrong. Not to mention he could be at Kagome's side the whole time instead of having to sit here and do nothing. For the first time in a long time, Youko felt useless. He felt powerless.

The woman he had grown so fond of, maybe even grown to love, was far out of his reach in the time where she needed him the most. He could do nothing to help. All he could do is sit and wait for news of the miko's condition. Clenching his hands into fists tightly, Youko stormed off into the dense part of the forest to calm his raging emotions.

Sango sighed as she stared at the well. There was nothing more she could do. All she could do was wait and pray her dearest friend would recover. Looking back toward the way they had come, Sango got back onto Kirara and scratched her ear softly. "Kirara lets go find Miroku." She smiled softly as the neko mewed and took to the skies.

Hiei stared at the well emotionlessly. He didn't even know why he followed these people. He knew that somewhere deep down, he was worried about the miko's well being but his pride wouldn't let him admit it to himself. Instead, he convinced himself that he was merely curious about how exactly the miko traveled from this time to hers so easily. Yes…that was the reason he followed. And he still needed to ask the miko several more questions about Naraku's whereabouts.

Deciding to stick around until the miko returned, Hiei leapt up into a tree, keeping the well in his field of vision, and decided to take a rest.

* * *

It had been three days. Three days since Kagome had been admitted into the hospital. Three days since she had woken up only to realize that she was in a hospital bed. Three longs days of merely lying in bed waiting to heal. Kagome's mother was at her side almost all the time, as well as her little brother. Her grandfather needed to stay home to care for the shine and Inuyasha occasionally stopped by to see how she was doing.

Kagome knew that the doctors were curious as to the reason she was healing so quickly. Not to mention how she received the wound in the first place. Kagome's mother had been witty enough to pull an excuse from the top of her head when the doctor had asked what happened. Her explanation was that her daughter was sent to the grocery store and was being harassed on her way back home.

Before she knew what was happening, one of the men had a knife pressed into her abdomen and stole all of Kagome's money. Kagome was still unconscious during the time her mom had presented this information so once she woke; Kagome was not only confused but also overwhelmed when her mom immediately told her what she told the doctor.

The miko didn't really mind the story, just as long as everyone believed it. Unfortunately, they had no excuse for her faster than normal healing. Thankfully though, the doctor didn't question it, most likely thinking that they held no knowledge as to the reason in the first place. It was three days. Three long and boring days. Three pain filled and experimental days.

Kagome had grown so bored that she eventually found entertainment in flexing and poking at her still quite fresh wound. It hurt like a bitch but the miko knew that when she was in pain, her healing powers kicked in. So in order to heal faster, Kagome made a hobby of purposely causing or bringing herself pain.

Finally when the fourth day rolled around, the nurses removed the I.V.'s. Kagome's mother was gone for the moment, saying something about going back to the shrine to make sure everything was alright. There were no nurses in sight, and the doctors were all busy with other patients.

Kagome stared up at the ceiling in boredom. Her gaze slowly but surely made it to the door. Debating whether she should or not, the miko stared at the door for several more seconds before throwing off her sheets. Moving carefully, Kagome stood from her bed and quietly left her room. She had to admit…it burned like no other to walk. Every step was like a hot iron was pressed against her skin.

But the miko knew that this was just what she needed. This excruciating pain was exactly all she needed to completely heal her wound faster. Kagome hated hospitals for all she was worth. They terrified her like no other. Hospitals were a place of death. Although it was also a place of healing, it was just one place Kagome did not enjoy staying. The main reason being that she wasn't like normal humans. She feared that if they figured out she was different, then maybe they would hold her here and study her….like some kind of animal.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, Kagome carefully made her way down the hall. She wasn't even sure where she was going, all she knew was that she could smell food coming from wherever she was headed. That's the other thing she hated about hospitals. When you're a patient, they never really feed you any decent food. They mainly supply you with apple sauce and ice chips.

Excited that she would finally be able to have some real food, Kagome hadn't even noticed the large boy that was also not paying attention to where he was walking. The two collided without warning and Kagome fell to the ground on her back quite hard. Having the wind knocked out of her and immense pain surge through her body, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth tightly.

"I'm so sorry miss, are you alright?" Kagome heard someone gasp.

"Of course she isn't you idiot, you nearly ran her over!" another voice said.

Opening her eyes slowly, Kagome focused her gaze on two boys staring down at her in worry. The large one that she presumed was the one she ran into had orange elvis like hair and soft caring eyes. The other had black slicked back hair and held himself as if he were tough and mighty. Shaking her head slightly to regain her bearings, the tough looking boy extended a hand toward her.

Smiling, Kagome took the offered hand and he helped her to her feet. "Thank you. I'm so sorry for running into you; I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I just smelt the food and seemed to have a one track mind." Kagome laughed

"Don't worry about it; it was the big guy's fault. He's too stupid to pay attention to where he's goin." The boy snorted as he noticed her attire.

"You ape! She's a patient! What if you hurt her you imbecile!?"

"I didn't mean to run into her! I didn't see her!"

"It's alright, I'm perfectly fine…" Kagome smiled, trying her best to hide her pain. In all honesty, she was in such terrible pain at that particular moment, she wanted to just drop back to the ground and whimper in agony. Her pride forced its way to the surface and Kagome took a slow deep breath. She would not allow herself to look weak and pathetic in front of these boys, it didn't matter if she only just met them.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the tall boy asked, his face contorted in worry.

Kagome nodded, forcing a smile across her face. "Yes, I'm fine."

"You need help back to your ro… oh shit! You're bleeding!" the dark haired boy gasped, staring at the stain of blood slowly growing larger on her hospital gown. Looking down, Kagome groaned and placed her hand over her wound.

"Great, not again." She sighed as she gathered her gown and pressed it against her bleeding injury.

Yusuke stared at the beautiful dark haired girl curiously. Did she have some type of mental problem or could she just not feel pain? The girl was literally bleeding all over the place and she didn't seem to be too worried, she was actually the complete opposite. He watched her as she soaked up her blood with her clothing and glanced around briefly. Either she really was mental or she was one tough damn chick. Besides Keiko, Yusuke hadn't met a human girl that was so level headed when it came to blood and injuries. This girl was acting as if it happened often with the way she was just standing there soaking up her gushing blood.

"Miss, you're injury must have opened! We have to get a doctor!" Kuwabara panicked.

"Oh no that's not necessary, I'll be fine." she smiled as she averted her gaze toward them. Yusuke nearly snorted when he caught sight of pain flooding through her blue eyes.

"Well then can we walk you back to your room? This big oaf will have a pissy fit all damn day if we don't." Yusuke winked, smirking slightly at the blush that rose to her cheeks.

"Uh sure, thank you…"

"Yusuke, and this is Kuwabara." He smiled and moved to walk next to her as she began leading the way to her room.

"I'm Kagome, its nice to meet you guys." She smiled softly, though he could tell she was forcing it because once she finished speaking, her jaw clenched tightly.

Kagome tried her best not to show her pain as they walked beside her to her room. Her entire midsection felt as if it were on fire and she could tell the pain killers the nurse forced her to take were beginning to ware off. Pain shot through her entire body as she felt her blood tumble down the skin of her stomach.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

"Just visiting a friend." Yusuke answered.

"So, what are you in here for?" Kuwabara asked.

"She ain't in a damn prison you baka." Yusuke snorted.

Kagome tried not to laugh because she knew it would hurt. Her stomach muscles tensing and contracting? Yup, definitely sounded painful to her. "I was on my way back home from shopping when a gang of boys attacked me. They demanded I give them all the money I had and when I refused, one stabbed me in the stomach. That's all I remember."

"Damn cowards… only weaklings pick on defenseless chicks." Yusuke snorted.

Kagome's mood darkened considerably after that comment. This jerk was practically saying woman were weak. "Well you guys should probably get back to visiting your friend. It was nice meeting you." she dismissed with a slight edge to her voice.

"Yea, you too." Yusuke muttered before pushing Kuwabara out of her room.

* * *

A/N:

That wraps up chapter three Hope everyone enjoyed. Jeez that sure was a long chapter… anywho R&R!

Next Chapter – Chapter 4: Broken Ice


	4. Broken Ice

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 4: Broken Ice

After a few more days in the hospital, Kagome was finally released to return home. Her wound wasn't completely healed quite yet but enough so that it wouldn't reopen and bleed once more. If she moved to quickly or in a certain way, she could feel a sharp stinging pain throughout her entire midsection. Kagome was beyond frustrated because no matter how much pain she put herself in, she just couldn't seem to summon her healing powers to cure her wound. It just didn't make sense… her powers were tied to her emotions, so why couldn't she get her healing powers working?

Kagome sighed in relief when the shrine steps came into view. She couldn't wait to get back to the feudal era and show Sango that she was perfectly fine. The miko knew her friend was most likely beating herself up over the situation and she needed to return as soon as she could before Sango hurt herself. The slayer was probably in the worst mood too, so Kagome wanted nothing more than to pull her into a tight hug and tell her that everything was alright.

Seeing Sango wasn't the only reason she was so impatient to get back though… she also couldn't wait to see Youko once more. She was also curious to see if Hiei had stuck around or not. And Inuyasha was probably growing irritated with how long it was taking her to recover. She also missed Shippo dearly. Facing Inuyasha and having to listen to his many insults of how weak she was would probably be the only downfall of returning to the feudal era.

Once she cleared the hundreds of stairs that lead to her home, she rushed to say goodbye to her family before making her way to the well house. Taking a deep breath, Kagome swung her legs over the lip of the well and dropped down into it. The comforting purple light of time travel caught her and gently guided her to her feet at the bottom of the well before disappearing. Looking up, she smiled when she saw the beautiful clear sky above her.

Careful of her injury, she slowly pulled herself up the vines that lined the walls of the well. Once she reached the top, she pulled herself up and over the edge. Sitting there for a moment to regain her breath, she looked around at her surroundings. Kagome was slightly surprised that no one was there to greet her. Usually Shippo was sitting there waiting for her or Inuyasha was staring down the well debating if he should go and drag her back.

Shrugging, she began her way down the path that led to Kaede's village. She was only a few feet from exiting the forest and stepping foot into the village when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind. She jumped slightly before relaxing when she caught Youko's scent of fresh roses. She smiled softly as he pulled her back against him and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

"I was worried you wouldn't return…" he murmured after a long silence.

"You can't get rid of me that easily. Besides, if I didn't come back who would make sure you're behaving yourself?" she said sarcastically.

Youko snorted. "If you are referring to my unbelievably great skills of seduction, you need not worry… they are reserved for only you." he purred.

Kagome blushed slightly, glad that he was behind her and couldn't see her red face. "Really now? Even if I were to never return?" she asked jokingly.

"If you were to disappear, I would spend the remainder of my life searching for you." the kitsune stated quietly.

Surprised, Kagome turned in his embrace to face him. Staring up into his golden eyes she found no humor, only truth. "Why?"

Youko sighed as his eyes drifted closed for a moment in thought before they reopened and locked with her bright blue ones. "I can barely express the feelings I hold for you Kagome… I've never felt them before."

Only further confused now, Kagome asked him to elaborate. "What kind of feelings are you referring to?"

"Before you stumbled into my life, I despised humans… especially mikos. I believed they were spineless cowards that did not deserve to share this world with demons. I deemed humans to be selfish, disgusting creatures that only did things to benefit themselves but when you came along… you threw my entire view point into chaos." He explained.

"You've lost me…" she murmured, trying to see the connection between what he had just said and his emotions toward her.

Youko sighed with a smile and rolled his eyes. The miko was completely clueless of how incredible she truly was. "If any human or miko would have come across an injured demon, they would have either left it to die or killed it without hesitation but you… you reacted different. You wanted to help cure me and at that point, I wasn't sure what to think.

"I was curtain it was some type of trick and that you were going to kill me but you proved me wrong. You cared and protected me in my time of weakness. You traded a comfortable night's sleep just so I could sleep without pain. Even after I was physically cured, you insisted that I remain on your sleeping bag."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of that. I was just helping you heal because you were hurt, I wasn't about to leave you to die."

"And that's exactly why you are different from so many others… Kagome you were even injured the entire time and you still carried me through your travels. You are selfless, caring, strong willed and open minded. You are unique among your kind… especially for a miko."

"I don't see where you're going here? How does that have anything to do with your feelings toward me?"

"You truly are completely clueless to how perfect you are aren't you? For those reasons and _many_ others… I love you Kagome." Youko said, gazing down at her.

Kagome stared up at him in shock. Had he really said the L word? But how could he possibly love her? She was a weak and pathetic human… "I don't understand how…"

"I realize that it is quite sudden but for the entire time you were in your time, I realized just how much I care for you." He interrupted her. "I can't express the strong emotions I feel because I've never felt this way before… but I could perhaps show you." he smirked.

Kagome blushed once more when the kitsune pulled her flush against him. She didn't stop him as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers gently. Kagome smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The miko knew she had fallen for him as well but like him, she just wasn't completely sure of how to express her feelings. She was also afraid of his rejection… though she wasn't sure why seeing as he had already requested for her to be his mate.

His claim mark was still on her neck yet she felt as if she wasn't good enough for him. Youko was a powerful and very attractive demon and she was positive that he could get any woman he desired. She wasn't sure why he had chosen her out of all the bigger fish in the sea but she sure as hell wasn't going to complain. She was currently locking lips with her first true love… and she was happier than a fat kid eating cake.

Youko deepened the kiss and pulled her closer as she returned his kiss. She blushed as she felt her breasts pressed firmly against his perfect chest and his tail slither around her right thigh. Parting to breath, Youko's lips relocated to her neck where he proceeded to nip softly at her skin. Her eyes fluttered shut as he moved to nibble on her ear before making his way back down to her neck and placing small kisses there.

Suddenly Kagome felt a tingling feeling on the edge of her senses and reacted instinctively. Without really thinking of what she was doing, Kagome pushed Youko away from her and swiftly bent backwards into a bridge before kicking her legs up into a back walkover to dodge the poison darts aimed toward them. A sharp pain shot through her entire body from stretching her stomach… therefore also stretching her injury as well.

Wincing from the pain, she didn't have time to ponder over how she possibly did that as she sensed several more darted headed toward her. Kagome ducked and turned to stare with wide eyes as the darts embedded themselves into the tree behind her and burned the bark slowly. She turned to search for Youko only to find him gone. Before she could panic, she heard the sound of tearing flesh and a pained shriek before silence fell upon the forest once more.

Kagome ground her teeth together as she rode out the burning sensation she felt from her stab wound. She wasn't sure how she possibly bent completely backward onto her hands but sure regretted it now. She felt as if when she stretched, her wound was being torn open, even though it wasn't. Once she regained control of her pain, she stood from the ground. Youko appeared in the distance with a slight scowl on his handsome face.

"What was it?" Kagome asked, turning to stare at the poison darts still sizzling in the tree.

"A toad demon that reeked of Naraku. How did I not sense it before you?"

"I'm not sure, I just felt it and reacted instinctively." She answered.

"Speaking of your reaction, it was incredible… how did you possibly bent that far?" the kitsune asked, a smirk replacing his previous frustration from not being able to protect her.

Kagome shrugged. "I haven't the slightest clue… I didn't even know I could do a back bend, not to mention a back walkover." She muttered.

"Are those more gymnastic moves?" Youko asked curiously, trying to rid his mind of all the new possibilities they could achieve with Kagome's flexibility… he felt himself getting hard from the mere thought.

"Yea… this is so weird." Kagome mused, lost in thought.

"Perhaps we should return to the village before there's another attack." Youko suggested before taking her hand in his and leading her toward Kaede's hut. Before they could even enter, Shippo came speeding out and threw himself at the miko. Hugging her around the neck tightly, he expressed quite loudly just how excited he was to see her back. Kagome smiled and returned his affection.

"I missed you too Shippo, how is Sango?"

Shippo's excitement disappeared when she mention the slayer. "Sango… feels terrible."

"Where is she?"

"In the hut. She hasn't left since Inuyasha took you to your time and has barely eaten… we're really worried about her."

Kagome sighed and placed the kit on the ground gently. "I knew I should have ditched the hospital." She muttered as she rushed into the hut. Her eyes scanned over the occupants of the room until she found Sango, staring blankly at the wall. She looked as if she had gone through hell and back. Shaking her head, Kagome made her way to her friend and kneeled down in front of her. Before Sango even realized who was sitting before her, Kagome pulled her into a tight hug.

"Will you stop beating yourself up already? I'm fine." Kagome whispered.

"Kagome?" Sango gasped, seeming to finally return to the world of the living. Once she realized it certainly was Kagome, the slayer hugged her fiercely. "Kagome I'm so sorry!"

"Quit that ok? I'm fine! Heck, the only reason I was gone for so long was because I was experimenting." The miko admitted.

"Experimenting how?" Youko growled, glaring at her accusingly.

Kagome laughed sheepishly as Sango released her. "Well I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to test my healing powers."

"Wench… you're telling me that you took so long cause you purposely continued to reopen your wound!" Inuyasha yelled as he entered the hut. To Kagome's surprise, Hiei followed behind him.

"Well not quite… I woke up in the hospital and the doctor told me I wasn't allowed to leave my bed unless I had to use the bathroom but I knew that if I felt pain that my healing powers would kick in… so I was kinda walking around the hospital…" she admitted.

"Then I don't understand what took you so long to heal." The hanyou growled.

"My healing powers never activated for some reason… I kept trying but nothing worked." She said, slightly frustrated.

"She isn't even completely healed yet." Hiei snorted.

Kagome turned a glare to him as she stood. "What gave you that idea, I'm perfectly fine."

Before she could blink, Hiei was across the room and tapped her stomach with the sheath of his sword. He rolled his eyes as the miko hunched over from the pain. "That's what I thought."

"If you wish to remain among the living Hiei, I suggest you reframe from harming her again." Youko growled at his companion.

"Hn" he snorted as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. As if the kitsune could kill him that easily. That was highly doubtful.

"Enough you two, I'm fine." Kagome stated stubbornly. "So when are we leaving to search for more shards?"

Surprised that for once Kagome was the one rushing to get back to traveling, Inuyasha stuttered. "Uh… well we could leave tomorrow morning."

"Perfect, that gives me time to take a bath tonight." Kagome smiled before turning to Sango. "Join me?"

Her friend smiled and nodded. Sango was so relieved that Kagome was alright. Sure she was still in pain but at least she was alive. She wasn't quite sure what she would have done if the miko didn't survive… she probably would have gone to search for Naraku by herself. She knew it was a death wish for her to face him on her own… but that would have been the point.

Since Kagome's pack was left behind when Inuyasha rushed her to the future, the miko made her way over to the bag to gather her bathing supplies. Grabbing two thin white towels, Kagome handed one to Sango before motioning for her to lead the way to the hot spring. Before they exited the hut, both women turned threatening glares toward the men.

"Peep and I'll beat you so hard you won't remember your name." Sango hissed, her threat mainly directed toward Miroku.

"That goes for you as well." Kagome added, eyeing Youko suspiciously.

"Sango… I would never!" the monk said, acting as if he were insulted.

Both girls snorted before leaving the hut. Just as they exited, they were both attacked. Kagome had sensed it coming but couldn't move fast enough as Kagura's wind slammed both of them into the wall of Kaede's hut. They both fell to the ground as everyone came rushing out. Kagome tried her best to stay conscious but the throbbing pain at the back of her head was so overwhelming.

When Kagura had thrown her wind at them, Kagome's head slammed quite hard against the wall. She wasn't sure of Sango's current condition but she knew they were safe because the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Hiei and Inuyasha attacking Kagura. She hoped Sango was alright and she could faintly hear someone calling her name desperately but the voice was slowly fading as darkness filled her pain filled mind.

Kagome woke with a gasp several minutes later, springing up into a sitting position and forcing everyone to step back and allow the miko to breath. Panting, Kagome turned her gaze up to see everyone was gathered around her to see if she was alright. Youko was sitting beside her and seemed to be prepared to carry her into the hut until she woke so suddenly.

Kagome's mind raced with what she had seen while she was unconscious. Once the darkness took over her, images flashed before Kagome's eyes… memories… it was as if her mind was uploading information that had been lost for a long time. Images of her as a small child were first. She was shocked when she watched her younger self run into a gymnastic routine and stick the landing perfectly. Hundreds of memories from her forgotten childhood refreshed themselves in her mind.

Kagome wondered how she could have possibly forgotten them until the last memory unfolded. She could clearly recall that day now… she was performing on the beam and only had to score several more points in order to place first in their school competition. Kagome was almost reaching her finish when she landed wrong on one of her front flips and slipped off the beam. Somehow, her head collided with the bean hard enough to give her a concussion as well as temporary amnesia.

Kagome turned her gaze to Youko, who was staring at her with worried eyes. "I remember…" she whispered.

"Remember what?" he asked in confusion.

Kagome's gaze turned up to Hiei and she smiled slightly. "You were right Hiei…"

"The onna hit her head so hard she's delusional." Hiei snorted.

"No, I'm fine… actually that hit helped me." She said as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Kagome, you hit your head quite hard, maybe you should sit back down." Miroku suggested as she wobbled on her feet slightly.

Youko stood and steadied her before agreeing with the monk. "Let's go back in the hut and get you to sleep."

"Will all of you calm down and listen?" Kagome snapped, finally growing irritated with their lack of attention. "That knock brought back my childhood memories that I didn't remember."

"Since when could you not remember your childhood?" Inuyasha asked.

"Since forever, I just never thought about it. But I remember now… I fell and got a concussion and lost my memory." She explained.

"The only thing she's lost is her mind." Hiei stated as he shook his head.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Do you remember when I did that back flip?" she asked and when Hiei nodded she turned to Youko. "And when I did the back bend and walkover?" he nodded as well and she smiled. "I used to be a gymnast."

"What's a gymnast?" Sango asked.

"I'll show you." Kagome smirked as she asked for them to follow her. The miko that everyone was sure had lost her marbles led them to the clearing where the well was. Ordering them to stay where they were, Kagome made her way to the well. Everyone turned to their left and watched her close her eyes and breathe slowly.

Opening her eyes, Kagome pushed off with a strength no one knew she possessed and performed a round off double back handspring before landing perfectly on her feet, her hands in the air with a huge smile on her face. Everyone stood staring at the miko in shock. Did she really just do that?

Kagome grinned to herself happily. Oh how she missed those adrenaline rushes she felt before diving into a routine. The one she just performed started with a move similar to a cartwheel but with a half twist. Her legs snapped down in a pair landing in the direction she started. This move was called a round off. Following her round off, she dove into a fluid back handspring twice in a row, which was a flip of her body onto both hands with her legs following as a pair. She began and ended in a standing position.

Shippo was the first to break away from his shock and ran to her in excitement. "Kagome that was so cool!!" he yelled.

Kagome smiled and laughed, "You think so?"

"Definitely!!" he nodded enthusiastically.

Youko and Hiei were next to snap out of their stupor and made their way over to the miko. "That was incredible…" Youko muttered.

"If she knew how to fight, it could serve quite useful." Hiei commented.

Catching his comment, Kagome gained a thoughtful expression before turning a smile to Sango. "Sango?"

The slayer pulled herself out of her daze and stared at the miko in question. "Yes?"

"Would you consider training me to fight?" Kagome asked, putting on her best puppy dog pout.

Sango smirked. "Only if you teach me how to do whatever you just did."

"Deal!" Kagome grinned.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha growled. "There is no way your teaching the wench to fight!"

Youko growled at Inuyasha but remained where he was at the miko's side because she was the one to snap at the hanyou before he could. "And why not?!"

"Because you're so damn clumsy that you'll probably get yourself killed if we let you battle with us! You're better off staying off on the sidelines like you always do and shoot things with your damn arrows." Inuyasha huffed.

Kagome glared at him angrily. "If I can beat you in a one on one battle with no weapons after I'm done with training, will you let me fight?"

Inuyasha snorted. "You? Beat _me_? Feh that ain't gunna happen in a million years wench."

"I take you that you accept my challenge." Kagome flared, glaring at the gloating hanyou.

"You're really looking for a good beating wench." Inuyasha chuckled. "I'll take you on. Practice all you want, you won't beat me."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

Over the next month, Kagome was under the most torturous training she could ever remember experiencing. Sango didn't go easy on her and instead pushed her to her limit until she was so exhausted that she nearly collapsed. Sango had her training both day and night and Kagome was sure if Naraku didn't kill her within the next few months, Sango sure as hell would.

Everyone was slightly surprised that Hiei accompanied the group when they left to hunt for shards. They brushed it off though since they felt no threat from him. He was probably bored like Youko and decided there was nothing better to do, so why not follow the odd ball group of entertaining humans and demons? With Kagome going through torturous training, Sango beating the living shit out of Miroku for being a hentai, the miko arguing with Inuyasha, and sitting him to hell… he was sure to stay entertained.

The first week was probably the hardest. Since it had been years since Kagome had performed any type of gymnastic move, she was completely out of shape besides the muscles she built from traveling and fighting demons. Sango made Kagome carry large rocks in her pack when they began traveling the morning following the night Kagome's memories came back to her. Kagome thought her legs would break from the weight and she couldn't believe Sango wanted her to carry them the entire day!

Youko and Shippo found it difficult to watch the miko during her training. They were both so tempted to relieve her of the heavy weight that threatened to crush her. Half way through the day, Kagome's legs were shaking so intensely that everyone doubted she would make it to the end of the day. Kagome surprised everyone though by pushing herself and proving she was had a far stronger will than they first expected. Youko had smirked the first night as he watched Kagome painfully crawl into her sleeping bag. He shouldn't have been so surprised, she was quite stubborn.

Kagome was forced to carry that heavy bag the entire week. On top of that muscle aching endurance training, Sango was beginning to teach her close combat without weapons. The slayer would go through the steps and have Kagome repeat her. Once Sango realized how quick of a learner Kagome was, the slayer pushed her training to the edge. Sango would show her a new technique once and then immediately attack Kagome, expecting her to defend herself with the exact technique she had performed.

Sango was quite proud to see Kagome doing well in the fast pace training. She wasn't going easy on her, not even on the first day, and the miko was proving to be a worthy opponent. Sango was curious of how deadly her friend would be if she learned to fight with a katana or other type of close combat weapon. She would most definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

To everyone's surprise, Kagome finished Sango's training in that first month. Even during their hard core training, Kagome was still able to alert everyone when a jewel shard was near. Kagome was capable of sparing with Sango and evenly matching her majority of the time. Sango would of course beat her every once and a while but Kagome's improvement was very impressive. Youko was quite proud of his potential mate. Now she was not only beautiful but also deadly.

Now that Kagome's training was over with Sango, she had to hold up her end of the deal and teach Sango her gymnastic moves. Once she was finished teaching Sango, she was determined to carry out her battle against Inuyasha. The night she finished her training, Kagome smirked as she turned a cruel smile to Sango. It was now her turn to torment the slayer…

Once dinner was over, Kagome called for Sango's attention. The slayer looked up to the miko in question. Kagome motioned for her friend to sit beside her on the opposite side of camp from everyone else. When she sat next to Kagome, Sango turned to her. Smiling, the miko stretched her legs out straight in front of her before bending over, touching her forehead to her knees, and touching her toes.

"Before doing any flips, we always have to stretch." Kagome instructed. Everyone at the other end of the camp was staring at the miko in disbelief. How did she possibly do that?

Sango laughed nervously as she stared at the position Kagome was in. "You want me to do that?!"

Kagome sighed and leaned back before standing. She ordered for Sango to stretch her legs out straight as she had. Sango did as she was told and leaned forward, though couldn't reach as far as Kagome could… and definitely couldn't touch her forehead to her knees! Sango winced in pain as Kagome placed her hands on her back and pushed her farther down. Sango could feel the intense stretch in her thighs as well as her back.

"The more you practice your flexibility, the easier this will be. And soon you'll be able to do the splits." Kagome grinned as she allowed the slayer to return to her sitting position.

"What's the splits?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

Kagome smirked as if she was waiting for someone to ask her that question. Moving to stand beside Sango, she slowly slid down to the ground, one of her legs stretched in front of her while the other was straight out behind her. She touched the ground and the men in the group winced. Damn that would hurt for a guy…

Kagome laughed. "That's known as the front splits. There is also the side splits, otherwise known as the straddle." She explained as she maneuvered her legs so that one was stretched straight out to her left and the other to her right.

"Can you do something cool again Kagome?!" Shippo asked in excitement.

Kagome laughed and placed her hands palms down on the ground next to each other directly in front of her. Her muscles flexed as she very slowly pushed herself up and off the ground. Still in the splits position, she rolled her body up so that she was completely upside down before slowly bringing her legs together and ending up in a simple handstand. Dirty thoughts began to plague Youko's mind as he watched her gracefully drop her legs back and finish in a standing position.

"And I'll be able to do all that by the time you're done with me?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded with a smile and Sango stretched her legs straight once more before reaching forward as far as she could. Kagome laughed and moved to stand behind her once more and assist her by pushing her body down further so she could feel the stretch. Kagome smiled brightly when Shippo moved to sit next to Sango and copied her position. Kirara came trotting up behind Shippo and pressed her paws to the kit's back and copied Kagome's motions.

After spending a few hours going through several different stretches, everyone prepared for bed. Sango was sore from her muscles being stretched much farther then they had ever been and was relieved to finally lie in her comfortable sleeping bag. Once everyone was asleep, Kagome glance around camp to make sure everyone was sleeping. Moving quickly but very quietly, she slid from her sleeping bag and followed to where she felt Hiei's aura.

Staring up into the tree, she whispered up to him. "Hiei? Could you come down?"

Said hybrid appeared at her side with his usual scowl and she smiled.

"What do you want miko."

"I was wondering… if you would spare with me?" She asked quietly.

Hiei stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "Why?"

"Because you're a demon and I know you're quick. If I'm going to beat Inuyasha, I need to push my human limits and become faster than Sango. I can't do that if I'm only sparing with her." she explained.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest. "I won't go easy on you onna."

"I don't expect you to. If I was looking for mercy, I would have asked Youko to spare with me." She smirked.

"Hn." Was the only reply she received before Hiei began walking away from camp. Grinning to herself like a happy school girl, she followed behind him. They stopped at a slightly more open area and Kagome's eyes widened when Hiei suddenly disappeared. She was immediately on guard and used her senses to locate where the hybrid was. Unfortunately, he was moving so quickly that she couldn't find him quick enough to block or dodge any of his attacks.

After several hours of merely getting her ass beat around, Hiei announce for her to get some sleep. Kagome grudgingly stomped back to camp and Hiei smirked. She was determined and stubborn, and that might be just enough for her to gain the skill she needed, she just needed to be pushed far enough. Hiei was somewhat glad that she had requested that he spare with her.

For reasons unknown to him, Hiei began feeling the odd urges to protect and help the miko when she was in need. These feeling confused him so he wanted to spend more time with the miko to see if it would help him figure out what was wrong with him. It wasn't only the desire to protect her though that had him excited for their next sparing… he felt a slight attraction toward her as well. He understood that Youko had a claim on her but that didn't mean he couldn't look… and maybe touch a little…

* * *

Kagome woke bright and early the next morning and shook Sango awake. The slayer groaned and pulled her blanket over her head. Kagome rolled her eyes and yanked the blanket away as she grinned down at her friend.

"Rise and shine! Get up, you have training to start!" Kagome announced and Sango pulled herself out of her sleeping bag grumpily. She expected for Kagome to order her to begin stretching but was surprised when the miko lead her over to a clear section of their camp.

"Alright, this morning you're going to begin working on your platform and arm strength." She said before bending over and pushing herself up into a handstand. "I want you to get into a handstand just like this." She instructed as she dropped her legs down so she could stand beside Sango once more. It took a few tries but soon Kagome got Sango into a handstand. She was holding her ankles and Sango was grinning happily, glad that she was able to do a handstand.

Kagome released her ankles and smirked. "Now I want you to stay like that the entire morning until we're ready to leave."

Sango nearly fell over after hearing that. "_What!_ You have to be joking!"

"Nope, completely serious."

"But what about breakfast!?" Sango whined.

"Oh don't worry; you'll have your breakfast." Kagome smiled, though Sango was slightly fearful of the glint in her friend's eyes.

Everyone else slowly woke as the smell of breakfast filled the air. As each member woke, they first followed their noses to Kagome's cooking then turned to stare at Sango in confusion. She would glare at anyone who stared at her as she waited for Kagome to tell her she could get out of this oddly straining position and eat. Once the food was ready, Kagome passed plates around before making one more and walking over toward Sango.

Sitting down next to the slayer, Kagome placed the plate of food beside her left hand and smiled. "Here's your breakfast, but you cannot break that position. You must stay in it if you want to eat."

Everyone turned stares to the miko as if she were insane. "How is Sango possibly going to eat when she's holding herself up by her hands?" Miroku questioned.

Kagome sighed and pushed herself up into a handstand after positioning her plate next to where her left hand would be. Everyone watched in surprise as the miko effortlessly balanced her entire body weight onto one hand and reached onto her plate and popped an egg into her mouth. Dropping down from her stance, she grinned. "That is why this is arm strength training."

Kagome wasn't surprised that Sango was able to eat without much difficulty. The slayer already was quite powerful when it came to her body and muscles; she just needed to be sure Sango had the endurance to hold her entire body in the air for quite some time seeing as majority of any gymnastic moves involved using plenty of arm strength. She was sure that Sango wouldn't have too much trouble; she just needed to work on her balance.

For the next two weeks, Kagome taught Sango all the different flips, tucks, and pikes that she knew. Sango was also a quick learner so it was fun to teach her and watch her improve. While Kagome was training Sango during the day, Hiei was sparing with her during the night. She was learning how to locate the hybrid much quicker and soon her speed began to increase. It wasn't long before she was able to block and sometime retaliate every attack Hiei threw at her.

Hiei smirked as he picked up his pace and leapt from tree to tree. The miko was getting better but of course wouldn't survive more than a few minutes if he truly was trying to kill her. He dove in to attack her once more and she skillfully blocked him before throwing a swift punch. He leapt back before her fist could connect with him but it was close. Deciding to take it up a notch, Hiei backed away quickly before rushing in for yet another attack.

Kagome blocked this attempt as well but soon found it slightly overwhelming when Hiei continued to throw attack after attack at her. She was able to block every potential hit until he finally found his opening and tackled her to the ground. Straddling her waist, he smirked down at her triumphantly.

"I win miko."

Kagome glared up at him half heartedly. She and Hiei had grown closer ever since he joined their group. Kagome liked spending time with him even if majority of that time was spent sparing or him insulting her or mocking her for some reason. Kagome also found that she was attracted to him in a way. She still liked Youko of course… but Hiei had somehow grown on her. He was just so damn sexy. That smirk of his drove her insane and she had even caught him smiling once… just _once _and it was amazing.

Hiei stared down at the miko pinned beneath him. She was staring up at him blankly as if she were in deep thought. He was about to question if her brain was still functioning until the smell of her arousal reached his nose. His instincts leapt to life and Hiei was tempted to lean down and kiss those faultless lips… and grind against those enticing hips… and grasp her perfect breasts… shaking those thoughts from his head, Hiei leapt off the miko and disappeared into the night.

Kagome remained where she lay for several minutes even after Hiei ran off. She was terrible… how could she lie there wanting desperately for Hiei to kiss her when she was pretty much dating Youko? She was horrible… she didn't deserve Youko… he was far too good for her. She didn't deserve Hiei either though… he at least had the restraint enough to leave before anything happened. Sighing to herself, Kagome pushed herself to her feet and returned to camp.

Kagome woke the next morning in the worst mood she could ever remember being in. She couldn't sleep at all the entire night and she was just so uncomfortable the entire time. Unfortunately for the Inuyasha, he decided to wake her that morning since she had yet to slip out of her sleeping bag. When he yelled for her to get her lazy ass up, she glared up at him fiercely. She slowly stood and pushed past him, muttered several 'sits' under her breath before dragging herself to her pack.

She quietly gathered the breakfast supplies as Inuyasha pulled himself out of his crater. "What the hell was that for wench!?!" the hanyou snarled as he got in her face.

She merely glared up at him as her aura flared to life. Sensing the immediate danger, Inuyasha took a step back but continued yelling at her. "I don't know what's got you in such a pissy mood this morning but I ain't gunna stand here and do nothin while you take it out on me damn it!"

Suddenly the frying pan she had clenched in her hand was flying toward him at incredible speeds. Luckily he was able to dodge before it collided with his head. Kagome turned back around and continued to make her way to the fire at the center of camp. Everyone shook their heads as they watched Inuyasha follow behind her with a scowl. Youko smirked to himself. He could practically _taste_ her anger from where he was standing. He was sure this morning was going to be quite interesting and Inuyasha was about to get the beating of his life.

"Hey bitch! I'm talking to you!" Inuyasha yelled, only a few feet behind her. He wasn't prepared when she spun around and smacked him with the spatula she was holding. Her chest was heaving with the intensity of her fury and Inuyasha glared down at her.

"You wanna fight do ya? Bring it on bitch, lets see what you got." He growled.

Kagome ground her teeth together tight and pushed a good amount of purification throughout her entire body as she threw everything in her arms to the ground. Moving much faster than Inuyasha expected, she spun into a round house kick and hit him directly in the stomach. He winced slightly when he felt the burn of her purification make contact with his skin.

Pissed now, Inuyasha moved forward to grab her since he didn't want to actually harm her when she bent backward and brought her feet up to pound him in the face as she dove into a triple back flip and landed on the opposite side of camp. Before Inuyasha could make his way over to her, Miroku grabbed his arm and pulled him back as Sango held Kagome back. Inuyasha pushed Miroku from him before throwing a glare in the miko's direction and stomping off into the forest.

Youko smirked as he watched the hanyou flee. He could feel Kagome's rage emitting from her petite form in waves as Sango hooked her arm through hers and pulled her off toward the hot spring nearby. The only reason it was Sango that stopped Kagome and not him was because he wanted to see Kagome beat Inuyasha around a little bit. Not to mention he knew the hanyou wouldn't actually injure his own best friend so he wasn't too worried about the little miko's safety.

Sango sighed as she pulled Kagome down to sit next to her. They had reached the nearby hot spring and were sitting on a large rock dipping their feet in the warm soothing water while Kagome cooled down. Sango was surprised to say the least. She had never seen Kagome that angry at Inuyasha before. What was so different about this morning? Something had to be bothering the irate miko for her to snap at Inuyasha so intensely.

"Kagome… are you alright?" she asked quietly once Kagome calmed down some.

Kagome sighed and bowed her head in shame, staring blankly down at the steaming water her feet were soaking in. Sango watched the various emotions that played across her friend's troubled eyes and knew her sour mood had something to do with Youko. Did he say something that angered her? Sango's eyes narrowed at the thought… he better not have, for his own sake.

"Kagome, you can talk to me." Sango murmured.

"Sango… I'm so confused…" the miko whined, refusing to meet the slayer's questioning gaze.

"Confused about what? Maybe I can help."

"I… I really like Youko and he even asked for me to be his mate… I have the claim mark and everythin…"

"Youko placed a claim mark on you?!" Sango gasped in surprised before slapping her hand over her mouth with an apologetic look. "Sorry… please continue." She said, apologizing for interrupting her.

"So I really like Youko… but I think I'm starting to like Hiei too…" Kagome muttered so quietly Sango almost didn't hear her.

Once she was sure of what she heard, Sango smiled and laughed slightly. "So… what? You're worried that you're sort of cheating on Youko because you like Hiei?"

"Well yes… it's not fair to Youko… I don't deserve him… or Hiei for that matter. I'm such a terrible person." Kagome murmured, bowing her head in shame.

Sango sighed and shook her head. "Kagome, there's no reason for you to be so down. I thought you listened to me when I educated you about demons and details on their mating."

"I did pay attention." Kagome defended herself.

"Apparently not because if you had then you would recall my explanation of demons taking on more than one mate." Sango grinned when she saw the look of confusion on her friends face. She wasn't paying attention that was for sure. Well at least not during that lecture. "Most demons only claim one mate and remain with that mate until one of them die then move on to another. But on occasion, if either both females or both males agree, a demon will take more than one mate."

Kagome thought for a moment. "But I'm not a demon…"

"That doesn't matter; as long as Hiei and Youko agree to share you… you can have both of them without a problem." Sango smirked.

Kagome stared at her friend for a moment with a blank expression before a smile slowly spread across her face. "So it won't be considered cheating… if Hiei even likes me that is." She pondered, thinking of how the hybrid had reacted the other night. He had run off after staring down at her for quite some time…

"No, it's not considered cheating." Sango laughed before pulling her feet from the water and standing. Offering her sister like friend a hand, Kagome smiled and allowed her to help her up. They put their shoes back on before making their way back to camp. Upon entering camp, they noticed everyone was packing up to set out.

Kagome skipped over to Shippo, who was trying to push her sleeping bag in her pack, and helped the kit finish cleaning everything up. Once camp was cleaned up, Youko took her pack from her shoulder and slung it over his own. Turning a thankful smile up to him, she noticed the serious expression on his face.

"What's the matter?"

"Hiei caught Naraku's scent while you were gone. He went ahead to search the area and we're sure Inuyasha is with him seeing as he has yet to return." The kitsune explained as he led everyone in the direction Naraku's scent was blowing from.

Worried that Naraku was declaring war already, she rushed to walk next to Youko. "This can't be the final battle… all the shards haven't been collected yet!"

"Naraku isn't the only scent he caught… before he darted off he muttered something about the smell of death and clay." Youko said quietly.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Kikyou… oh no… Naraku is after her! We have to hurry!" Kagome panicked and broke into a sprint after grabbing Shippo to direct her toward Naraku.

Youko shook his head and quickened his pace, knowing that Sango and Miroku wouldn't have too much trouble keeping up since they had the flying neko with them. Speeding toward Kagome, he scooped her up into his arms and dashed off toward their destination. She wrapped her arms around Shippo tightly as Youko carried them off.

The sounds of swords clashing and tearing flesh could soon be heard clearly. Once they cleared the trees, Youko nearly dropped Kagome when Kagura's dance of blades almost hit him. He was quick enough to dodge and placed Kagome down on her feet before revealing his rose whip. Kagome watched in awe as he transformed his beautiful rose into a long whip before leaping forth to attack Kagura.

Youko snarled up at the wind witch glaring at him. This was the demon that attacked Kagome outside Kaede's hut. She was going to pay dearly for harming his vixen… he would be sure of that. Tightening his grip on the rose whip, he watched her carefully. Before he could attack, she threw another dance of blades directly at him, forcing him into the defensive.

Hiei scowled at the hanyou before him. Unsheathing his katana, Hiei rushed at him full speed while he was occupied with defending himself from Inuyasha's powerful fang. Unfortunately, Naraku was also keeping a close eye on him and was able to dodge his attack. Growling his disapproval, he darted at him once more, dodging the hundreds of tentacles aimed to tear him to pieces.

"Kikyou! Wake up damnit!" Inuyasha snarled as he leapt at Naraku once more, only to be thrown back by dozens of tentacles. He had been off sulking when Kikyou's scent, along with Naraku's, invaded his senses. He had immediately followed the scents and came across the two of them battling. It wasn't such a far fight since Kanna was slowly sucking the souls that Kikyou used to survive and Kagura was also attacking her. He had only just reached the battle field when Naraku successfully knocked the miko unconscious and was preparing to absorb her.

Now he was fighting to get Kikyou out of Naraku's grasp but was failing miserably. Even though the attacks that he and Hiei were delivering to Naraku were slowing him down, it wasn't enough to stop him from still pulling the undead miko closer to him. Inuyasha roared in anger when Naraku threw him halfway across the battle field… and far from Kikyou.

Kagome released her last arrow and destroyed three more demons just as she watched Inuyasha fly over her head and land several yards behind her. Her gaze turned to Naraku and her eyes widened in horror. Naraku had Hiei and Kikyou wrapped in his tentacles and was slowly attempting to absorb them. Kagome took brief note of the fact that Youko had Kagura occupied while Sango and Miroku were attacking Kanna and any other stray demons against them. Inuyasha had yet to get up and Kagome's eyes narrowed as her anger rose.

Glaring at Naraku, she broke into a sprint straight at him. Naraku turned his disgusting smirk toward her and sent several tentacles at her, not bothering to even pay attention since he didn't see her as much of a threat with close combat. His eyes widened in shock when Kagome dove over the first tentacle and landed on her hands as she flipped through a front handspring. Quickly following her handspring, she rolled into a cartwheel to dodge several more attacking tentacles.

Once her feet touched the ground again, she sprung up into a front pike somersault, successfully dodging other deadly sharp attacks. She pushed off from the ground once she landed her somersault and grabbed hold of the tentacle squeezing the life from Hiei. Feeling her purification boiling beneath the surface of her skin, she pushed her powers into the tentacle and sighed in relief when it sizzled and disintegrated, dropping Hiei to the ground.

Naraku was quite shocked by her quick maneuvers but not distracted enough to stop from absorbing Kikyou. Kagome had made the dyer mistake of rushing to check if Hiei was alright before turning her attention back to Naraku. Unfortunately, but the time she turned back to save Kikyou, Naraku had already almost finished absorbing the miko. Kagome could do nothing but watch in horror as her incarnation disappeared from sight, completely taken into Naraku's body.

Naraku turned a smirk to Kagome, easily seeing exactly where her jewel shards were. Seeing where he was staring, Kagome reached up and wrapped her fingers around the jar holding her shards. Naraku glanced toward Kagura, who was still fighting off Youko and slowly losing. Kanna was in no better shape and he could see Inuyasha making his way back toward him in the distance.

"I'll be back Kagome, for both you and your shards." He smirked before retreating into the trees. Once Naraku backed out, Kagura and Kanna withdrew as well, following after their master. Once they were gone, Kagome turned back toward Hiei and kneed at his side. He was still regaining his breath but had managed to prop himself up on his elbows and was now glaring up at Kagome.

"Why did you help me before the miko." He demanded.

Kagome sputtered for a moment, not sure how to answer. "I wasn't sure if I could make it to Kikyou in time, and you were closer."

"You are reckless and idiotic." He growled still glaring at her, though halfheartedly.

"Your welcome." She rolled her eyes as Inuyasha approached her.

"Where is Kikyou?!" Inuyasha demanded,

Kagome's gaze fell to the ground as she shook her head. "I'm sorry Inuyasha… I couldn't get to her in time…" she murmured.

"Kagome! Are you alright?!" Sango panted as she reached the miko's side. Youko appeared next to her as well and she nodded slightly to relief their worries. She looked up when she heard someone walking away and felt her heart drop out of her chest when she saw it was Inuyasha. His ears were drooped and he was headed for the forest. She watched as he disappeared from sight.

"Kagome, it's not your fault. There was nothing you could do." Miroku said in an effort to comfort the miko.

"I should have tried to purify him or something…" she muttered before standing and walking off toward the forest, though in a different direction than Inuyasha had gone. Shippo, who had been hiding in the bushes away from danger, was about to run after his adoptive mother when Sango stopped him. He looked to where the slayer nodded her head toward and saw that Youko was already going after her.

Kagome walked until she spotted a tree with branches low enough for her to reach. Standing below it, she leapt up and grasped a branch tightly. Swinging her legs slighting, she pulled herself up until her stomach was pressed against the branch and her hands were repositioned on top of the branch, her elbows locked. Twisting her midsection to the side, she swung a leg over the branch and straddled it for a moment before scooting back so she could rest her back against the trunk of the tree.

Just as she was about to lean back against the tree, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and the familiar scent of roses wash over her. She smiled slightly as he pulled her back to rest against his chest. Closing her eyes, she sighed heavily and remained silent. Youko leaned down and nuzzled her neck softly as he inhaled her enticing scent.

"It was not your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"I could have at least tried." She muttered.

Youko growled softly as he tightened his arms around her slightly. "Stop blaming yourself. You wouldn't have gotten to her in time even if you tried. None of us could have."

Kagome remained silent as she stared at the ground. Her aura was radiating her guilt and Youko didn't like it. Like he had before when she was carrying him in his fox form, Youko softly sunk his fangs into the skin of her neck. She gasped and her entire body tensed for a moment. He purred softly and she gradually calmed both physically and emotionally. Satisfied with his methods of persuasion, Youko removed his fangs and slowly licked away any blood.

He smirked to himself when the smell of her arousal hit him full force. Once all traces of her blood were gone, he moved on to kissing up to her jaw before nibbling on her ear softly. Her breathing quickened as he pulled her back and lifted his legs onto the branch so she was sitting on his lap. His tail slowly wrapped around her thigh and the tip brushed against her skin softly. She squirmed for a moment until he growled quietly and moved to nip at her neck gently while his hands flattened against her stomach.

Her breath hitched when she felt his tail brush further up her leg and traced the lining of her panties. She barely noticed his hands slip under her shirt. She groaned at the wonderful feeling of his claws trailing across her skin gently. He continued to kiss her neck as his tail made its way further up until it was against her heated core. Kagome felt flames ignite in the pit of her stomach as Youko grasped her breasts and massaged them slowly.

She threw her head back and allowed it to rest against his shoulder when the kitsune's tail brushed forcefully against her panties. Moving up and down slowly against her, his tail was driving Kagome over the edge and his hands were only pushing her further. She felt pressure building in the pit of her stomach and she wasn't sure what was happening but didn't want it to stop anytime soon…

"Kagome! Youko! Where are you?! We have to get going!" Sango's voice reached their ears and Kagome snapped back to reality. Blushing, she unwrapped his tail from under her skirt and removed his hands. She turned to see the cutest pout on his face and laughed slightly. The miko reached up and scratched the base of his ears before leaning in to give him a quick kiss. Youko held her there for a moment longer before releasing her.

"We had better go before I take you right here and now." Youko purred, smirking as another blush rose to her cheeks.

* * *

A/N:

And that wraps up this chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed, it's pretty long too!! Well, until next time! R&R ^_^

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter Five: Never Forgotten


	5. Never Forgotten

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Chapter 5: Never Forgotten

Kagome sighed as she stared off into the distance. They, including their newest group additions Hiei and Youko, had been searching for the last of the shards for weeks now. Kagome was finally able to relax and escape Hiei's harsh training and the relentless traveling and was currently soaking in a hot spring they happened to find before setting up camp for the night. It was also the first night she was able to convince Inuyasha, Youko and Hiei that she would be fine on her own for an hour while she bathed.

Ever since Naraku's threat of returning for her and the shards, no one allowed Kagome out of their sight, or reach for that matter. Her kitsune, hybrid, or inu guards were always somewhere near her and she was beginning to feel like a child. Sure, Naraku was strong and she had no chance in hell against him if he appeared before her while she was alone but Kagome was more than positive that she would be able to fight him off until someone could assist and/or save her. She was a gymnast, trained in the fighting styles of a Taijiya, was gradually getting the hang of her miko powers, and was only growing stronger with the training Hiei was helping her with. It would be damn near pathetic if she couldn't at least hold Naraku off for a decent amount of time.

Speaking of the spit fire hybrid, Kagome thought about how much closer they had grown over the last few weeks. When she had first met Hiei, he was quiet most of the time and seemed to hate the world. He had closed himself off from civilization and the miko didn't really blame him. Being a forbidden child, Hiei had an even harder life than Inuyasha. She wasn't completely aware of the details but once the hybrid grew to understand that she wasn't going to betray and turn on him like so many others had, he slowly opened up to her. Kagome was still careful of what she asked him but according to Youko, Hiei held a surprising amount of respect for her so she didn't really have to tip toe around the hybrid.

They continued to sneak off during the night while the others slept to continue their training. No one was aware of their secret yet and Kagome hoped to keep it that way. She wanted to be so quick that she could take her opponents by surprise. Hiei was by far the fastest demon she had ever met, even faster than Kouga with his shards. She knew that if she could train her senses to keep up with Hiei's speeds, she could perhaps become quite a force to be reckoned with in battle. With the continued training, Kagome also began to realize she was gaining more control of her miko powers. The stronger she grew, the easier her powers were to wield. To top it off, her amazing flexibility and quick reflexes that she had gained from gymnastics helped her move and dodge quicker than Sango.

With Kagome's skills and powers increasing, her senses were as well. She could now throw her senses as far as a few miles and sense how powerful a particular demon was and if he possessed a shard. Since they were training in the dark, Kagome's eyes were growing sharper. She could see in the dark almost as well as a demon, it just took her human eyes several minutes to adjust. Her hearing was also improving, giving her the ability to tell exactly where Hiei was if she couldn't see or sense him. After the past several weeks of training, Kagome could almost beat Hiei in battle… almost.

Huffing in irritation, Kagome swam to the shore of the spring and got out of the water. She was frustrated that after all her training and hard work, Hiei could still beat her without breaking a sweat. She knew that since he was a demon it was practically impossible for her to train her senses to be as sharp as his but it didn't stop her intense dissatisfaction. Though if they were in a true battle, Kagome wasn't sure how that would turn out. She had trained her senses enough so that she could counter and block every single one of Hiei's attacks, no matter how unpredictable they were.

So his speed wouldn't help him in a real battle but his strength definitely would. But Kagome had her purification… so it was hard to decide who would win. Then again, there were many powers Hiei possessed that she wasn't aware of. For instance, she knew that he had strong fire powers and could most likely produce a flame from just his ki. She was aware of his ice powers as well but what had her baffled were two things he had yet to completely explain to her… what was hidden under his headband and what was concealed under the wraps on his arm.

Deciding to question the hybrid about it later that night when they started their training, Kagome dried herself off before slipping into a pair of dark grey sweat pants and a green tank top. She had to hurry because she could practically _taste_ the worry and impatience rolling off of three particular males awaiting her return from her bath. Sango had been recently injured so couldn't come with her and Shippo was responsible for making sure no one disturbed or peeped on her during her bath. Shaking her head clear, she gathered her things and quickly headed back to camp.

Youko remained as patient as he could while he waited for Kagome to finish her bath. He was leaning against a tree and had his aura spread all the way to the spring so he could be sure she was safe the entire time. Everyone had been on edge since Naraku escaped, threatening to return for Kagome and the shards. After that morning, everyone refused to let the miko out of their sight. Youko was sure Kagome could hold her own in battle but Naraku was a different story. It took Inuyasha, Hiei, and her to only keep him occupied. She certainly had no chance of escaping if Naraku caught her off guard.

The kitsune had to admit he was impressed by her newly shaped and acquired fighting skills. She had learned Sango's style of fighting quickly and was gradually gaining more control of her powers. Her odd gymnastic moves also proved to be quite useful. But even though she was far more of a threat than she was when he first met her, Youko was still fiercely protective of her. He had placed his claim mark on her because he intended on spending the rest of his life keeping her safe and to have her for himself… speaking of the keeping her to himself, Youko's thoughts wondered to a certain hybrid.

Even the other members of the group were beginning to see the change of attitude between Kagome and Hiei. Sango wasn't as tense around him as she had been when he first decided to tag along with their group. From the mere way Hiei looked at Kagome, she could tell he would never harm her and would protect the little miko with his life if the need arose. Youko had been at first surprised by the obvious acceptation his bandit partner held for his vixen, but over the span of the next few weeks, he quickly realized that Hiei was slowly growing to like Kagome more than a mere friend. It was quite obvious that Kagome was beginning to feel the same for the hybrid as well.

The kitsune's first reaction was anger and slight jealously but once he realized that Kagome's emotions weren't shifting from him to Hiei but instead adding the apparition into the mix, he was able to calm himself. It was quite common for demons to have more than one mate but Youko wasn't sure about humans. He was almost positive that humans remained with one male or female at a time but perhaps Sango had explained the normality of multiple mates to Kagome. If that were the case then it made more sense as to why Kagome seemed to be trying to hold affections for both him and Hiei… even though she was obviously attempting to conceal her feelings for the fire demon.

Youko didn't mind sharing Kagome with Hiei, but he _did_ mind who would have her first. He courted her first, therefore held the right to mate with her first. Not to mention Hiei hadn't even really shown an interest in the miko. Youko learned that Kagome was almost ridiculously oblivious when it came to other's interests in her. She was aware of his attention simply because he openly declared his attraction and desire for her. Hiei, on the other hand, did not show any obvious signs that he liked the miko so it was clear that she had no clue of how the hybrid truly felt.

Youko's ears perked up when he realized Kagome's aura was heading toward them. Turning his gaze to the others, he noticed Hiei and Shippo had also picked up the miko's approach. Inuyasha either didn't care or couldn't tell since he was still resting in his tree undisturbed. Youko rolled his eyes at the hanyou. Of course, since he was only hanyou, he wouldn't be able to sense what full demons could. Not to mention kitsune's sense of smell were far more enhanced than inus. As for Hiei, he was powerful and very in tune with his surroundings so it wasn't a surprise that the hybrid noticed.

Unable to wait any longer, Shippo dashed off in the direction he could smell his adoptive mother. Running at top speed, Shippo grinned as he saw Kagome in the distance. His excitement grew when he saw her smile but his joy quickly disappeared as suddenly her smile faded into complete horror. He panicked as Kagome dropped all of her things and began running toward him. He didn't know what to do… or what was happening so Shippo stopped in his tracks and covered his head with his arms as he crouched low to the ground.

"Shippo, NO!!" Kagome cried out as she tried desperately to reach her kit before Kagura could. She barely got within five feet of Shippo when Kagura swooped down on her feather and snatched Shippo from the ground by his tail. He began to wail loudly as the wind witch flew back up into the air, completely out of reach. Tears slowly trailed down the miko's cheeks as she changed direction and began running after Naraku's detachment.

Suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her, stopping her in her tracks. Kagome tried to escape the hybrid's grasp and continue following Kagura but he wouldn't budge. Tears flowing down her cheeks, she gave up and buried her face in the little demon's shoulder, fisting her hands in the material of his cloak. Unsure of what to do, Hiei just held her close and allowed her to cry. Youko, who had dashed ahead to see the direction of Kagura's destination, had returned and felt his heart clench at the sight of Kagome broken down in a mess of tears.

* * *

Kagome swiftly dove into a back flip to dodge Hiei's attack that was aimed for her legs. Once she landed on her feet, she threw her leg up to kick him in the side only to miss as he side stepped quickly. Disappearing once more, Kagome concentrated on exactly where he was as he darted around from tree to tree. The miko could feel her miko energy boiling in her veins and she knew why. She was pissed… beyond pisses actually. For the past hour, she had been sitting on her sleeping bag mentally blaming herself for Shippo's kidnap. If she had been paying closer attention, or could have moved faster, she could have saved her kit from being taken.

Feeling him closing in on her, Kagome threw a powerful barrier around herself just as Hiei was about to deliver his attack. He was shocked out of him mind when the shimmering pink barrier appeared before him but reacted quickly and darted back up into the trees. The sheer power of the barrier made the hairs on his arms stand on end and he wasn't sure if the barrier would purify him or not. Knowing Kagome wouldn't harm him on purpose, he decided to test her barrier. Unsheathing his sword, he attacked the pink obstruction.

He watched Kagome's expression very carefully as he continued to assault the barrier with his sword. After a short time, he could see that it was taking a toll on the miko to merely hold the barrier up, much less keep it strong so he couldn't break through it. Though the harder she tried, the angrier she seemed to get. He dove in to attack it once more and suddenly the barrier disappeared before his sword collided with it. Ducking to avoid the hybrid's sharp katana, Kagome glared angrily as she drilled her fist toward his stomach.

Her anger had been building so much that she didn't even realize the blue flame that engulfed her fist just as it slammed into Hiei's stomach. The apparition was thrown back with such force and power that he was momentarily paralyzed. He pounded against a tree and hit the ground painfully. He coughed for a moment as Kagome seemed to clear her head enough to realize what had just occurred. Her eyes widened as she ran to the hybrid slumped to the ground. There was a burn mark on his blue shirt where she had punched him.

"Hiei! Oh I'm so sorry, are you ok?!" Kagome panicked as she dropped to the ground beside him. Her heart began to race as she watched each of his muscles shutter. She was about to leap to her feet and retrieve help when he slowly lifted his head to stare at her with amused crimson eyes. He chuckled softly and Kagome began to worry further. Kagome had never seen Hiei laugh before, much less smile in true happiness. Great, she hit him so hard that the hybrid lost him marbles… or she purified him partially and completely messed up his emotions.

"Miko, you surprise me time and time again." He said as he calmed his laughter.

"Hiei lets get you to Youko, I'm sure he can fix whatever I did to you…" Kagome said, worry flooding her eyes as she began to stand. She helped him to his feet as Hiei rolled his eyes.

"You are growing stronger onna and I believe we now have a secret weapon against that vile hanyou." Hiei stated as he began making his way to camp, Kagome following at his heels.

"What secret weapon?" she asked, completely confused.

"You." Hiei smirked.

* * *

Youko watched Kagome in confusion and slight worry as they began their search for Shippo. For several hours now, Kagome had been under complete concentration in her hunt for her kit but that wasn't what had everyone staring at her… the fact that she was performing this action with her eyes closed is what baffled them all. The miko was walking at her usual pace with her eyes closed. It was surprising how accurately aware of her surroundings she was even without her sight. What was even more shocking was the fact that she knew exactly where the rest of the group was even though her complete concentration was centered on finding Shippo.

After some time, everyone eventually grew used to the miko's odd method and concentrated on sensing Naraku. They traveled for half the day and were beginning to worry about Kagome seeing as she hadn't asked to take a break or even spoke once throughout the entire time. Sango was about to say something but Youko shook his head. The kitsune knew that Kagome was desperately searching for any traces of Naraku or Shippo and had a feeling that her senses reached twice as far as any of theirs did.

"Shard, weak lizard demon, in its tongue, two and a half yards northwest." Kagome muttered as she continued walking. Inuyasha turned to look at her in confusion before glancing toward Miroku. The monk shrugged his shoulders and headed in the direction Kagome had said the shard was. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed after the hentai muttering under his breath. Sango remained with the group and laughed slightly as they continued walking in the direction they were headed.

"Her powers have grown… she can actually locate a shard's exact location in a demon and determine how powerful the particular demon is?" the slayer asked.

Youko smirked and nodded, obviously proud of his future mate. Moving slowly and carefully so as to not startle her into accidentally purifying him, Youko loosely wrapped his tail around her waist and pulled her to walk a bit closer to him. Kagome opened her eyes for a moment and smiled up at Youko before returning to her concentration, though she brushed her fingers through the soft fur of his tail. Kagome found herself far more relaxed with Youko's tail around her waist. It made her feel that he was there for her and ready to help when the need arose.

She felt the wind brush against her slightly and felt Hiei's aura beside her and smiled once more. It comforted her to know they were there beside her the entire way. Clearing her mind, Kagome turned her senses away from the group and farther off into the distance. She could sense the demon that Inuyasha and Miroku were after was slowly growing weaker. It wouldn't be long before the two of them returned with the shard she detected from the lizard demon. Averting her attention away from that location as well, she spread her powers as far out as she possibly could.

* * *

Three days… that's how long they've been searching for Shippo and Naraku. By the end of the third day, Kagome was beginning to panic. Youko and Sango had to literally force the miko to sit down and eat dinner before they rested for the night. Kagome didn't want to eat… she didn't want to sleep. How could she when her kit was out there somewhere with the worst possible demon in all of feudal Japan?

How could she eat when her kit wasn't sitting right there next to her to eat with her? How could she sleep when he wasn't there to lie on her chest for the night? Naraku hadn't just taken her kit… he had taken a part of her heart. She considered Shippo a son to her and loosing him was almost too much to bear. She had no way of knowing if he was alright… or even alive for that matter. If only she could receive some kind of sign that he was still breathing then perhaps she could rest for a few hours to regain some of her strength.

But that wasn't the case. All she could do was lay there on her sleeping bag and stare at the sky. There was no way she could fall asleep… not while Shippo was in danger. Not to mention it was all her fault. If only she was faster, she probably could have reached Shippo before Kagura. Or if she were stronger, she would have sensed Kagura concealing her aura before she got close enough to kidnap Shippo. Kagome held back her tears as she fisted her hands in the material of her sleeping bag. She couldn't just lie there and do nothing… this time could be used to cover more ground and could possibly help locate Shippo faster.

Turning her gaze to the others that slumbered around camp, Kagome quietly crawled from her sleeping bag. Leaving everything as it was, she grabbed one of Sango's concealed daggers she kept in Kagome's pack before turning back to everyone. They were all fast asleep, or so she thought. Moving quickly but quietly, Kagome spread her aura out across the surrounding area before heading off in the direction that they had been traveling.

Hiei sighed from where he rested in the tree directly above Kagome's sleeping bag. He easily heard her leave camp and wasn't about to let the miko skip through the forest by herself. Leaping down to the ground, the apparition flicked Youko's ear. The kitsune twitched and whimpered at the slight sting before turning a glare up to his comrade.

"The miko left." Hiei said quietly before heading off in the direction she disappeared to.

Youko leapt to his feet and quickly made his way to Hiei's side. How did he not sense her leave the camp grounds? He had been that tired? It was a relief that at least Hiei spotted her and had thankfully woke him as well. Before they allowed themselves to get anywhere near Kagome, they concealed their auras, scent and power very carefully so that she wouldn't detect them. It didn't take them long to catch up to her and they soon realized that the miko wasn't even bothering to spread her aura behind her like she had the previous day. Instead, she used the extra power to throw her senses even farther than before.

The only reason Youko and Hiei decided to remain hidden from the miko was because of they're curiosity. They wanted to see how Kagome would fair on her own, with no one there to protect her. Hiei decided this was one of the only ways to truly see how far she improved in her training. If she couldn't protect herself then she wasn't ready to wander by herself, especially after Naraku. Hiei informed Youko of the late night sparing him and Kagome had been working on for the past few months and the kitsune wasn't surprised. He could see she was growing stronger and faster and that couldn't have been gained from training with only Sango.

After several hours of following and watching over her, Kagome was finally attacked by the first demon brave or stupid enough to seek her out. They were worried the miko would need assistance since she was once again traveling with her eyes shut and in complete concentration but their worry was thrown out the window when they saw her lift her hand just as the demon leapt at her. Not bothering to stop, the miko continued walking as a blue flame blasted the toad demon away from her. Its screams of agony were soon silenced as its entire body turned to ash. Youko nodded his head slightly in approval, glad to see the miko was indeed paying close attention to her surrounds as well as searching for Shippo.

* * *

Sango woke with a start when she heard Inuyasha yelling. Leaping out of her sleeping bag, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and focused on the hanyou that was frantically sniffing around the camp.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Miroku asked, stretching.

"Kagome's gone! And so are the weasel and apparition." he snarled.

Sango turned her gaze to where Kagome had been sleeping the night before and surely enough, her sleeping bag was empty. Sighing, Sango stood and began packing their things. Inuyasha stopped for a moment and turned to stare at the slayer in question.

"What are you doing?! You should be helping me find Kagome!"

"Calm down Inuyasha I know exactly where she is and she's safe."

"Would you like to share the information you hold with us as well Sango?" Miroku asked, worried about their miko friend.

"She must have left last night to continue searching for Shippo. I'm also guessing that Hiei or Youko heard her leave and they both followed her to keep her safe." she answered.

"How would you know?!" Inuyasha barked.

Sango rolled her eyes. "It's quite obvious that both of them desire to claim Kagome. Do you honestly think they would let her run off after Naraku on her own?"

Miroku sighed and began helping her pack everything. "I agree. So we just have to catch up with them. Too bad Kagome couldn't have taken her things with her." he whined.

"But I don't get it. Why couldn't Kagome wait for morning? Why couldn't she wait for the rest of us?" Inuyasha asked, confused and worried. He knew that Kagome was tired last night and if she left while they were sleeping then that meant she got no sleep at all.

"When I first learned that Kohaku was still alive, I searched for him nonstop. I refused to sleep for days and sometime barely ate. When someone you love as dearly as Kagome loves Shippo disappears or is kidnapped, nothing can stop you from finding them… not even exhaustion." Sango said quietly as she loaded everything in Kagome yellow bag and noticed her twin daggers were missing. She snorted. "Hmm well I'll be damned."

"What's wrong Sango?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome's even smarter than I first expected. She took my daggers with her." Sango chuckled, proud of the miko's quick thinking. Kagome now not only fought like a taijiya but also thought like one as well.

* * *

They had been following Kagome for the entire day and never did her pace slow. She didn't seem exhausted or hungry and she hadn't taken one break since leaving camp the night before. Hiei and Youko were seriously beginning to worry about the miko's health as she continued to travel through the night. Throughout the day, she had been attacked by multiple demons but all of them were weak and no match for her purification. She didn't even bother to spare any of them a mere glance as she threw her purification at them and continued walking.

It wasn't until morning that the miko finally stopped at a shallow river for fish. They were impressed by her survival skills and her ability to catch fish with the daggers she had concealed in her clothing. They hadn't even been aware of the weapons until she pulled them from her clothing. She made a fire and cooked the fish before eating as quickly as she possibly could. Hiei ran off to dispose of a demon trailing them from behind while Youko remained near Kagome to watch over her when he saw her stiffen suddenly. She stood and closed her eyes for a brief moment before dashing off into the trees.

Youko leapt into action, knowing that Hiei could easily catch up to them. Kagome was faster. Much faster. Youko was surprised by the little human's speed as she darted through the trees and eventually came to a clearing completely clouded over in miasma. Youko remained at the tree line, though stayed as close to Kagome as he possibly could. Several seconds later, Hiei appeared at his side and was staring out at the clearing with narrowed eyes.

"Naraku is here." Hiei growled.

"So is his entire army…" Youko muttered as the miasma slowly began to clear. Once it was completely gone, hundreds of low level demons could be seen standing in front of where Naraku, Kohaku, Kagura, and Hakudoshi stood. Kagome stood by herself against the entire army and she didn't seem the least bit scared.

"Where is Shippo!" she yelled angrily.

Naraku chuckled darkly and lifted the kit high in the air by his tail. "Are you referring to this little trouble maker?"

"Kagome! Run, save yourself!!" Shippo cried, tears trailing down his cheeks. His words were silenced when Naraku drowned him in miasma, causing the kit to fall unconscious. Kagome felt her heart drop into her stomach. If she didn't get to Shippo soon, the poison would kill him… But how could she save him? She couldn't take on a whole army and then deal with Naraku's detachments and live to see another day. Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Kagome glared at her enemies coldly as a shimmering pink barrier formed around her like a bubble.

Examining Naraku's entire army and his detachments, she realized that Kanna was missing… and so was the baby that was Naraku's heart. Kagome spread her aura beyond the clearing and easily located the albino child and infant. She knew Naraku wouldn't go anywhere without keeping his only weakness somewhere close to him to keep it safe. If she could just destroy Naraku's heart, then his powerful barrier would be no more and he could easily be defeated in his greatly weakened state. Only problem was that the heart was located a few feet directly behind Naraku… so that meant Kagome would have to get past the army, his detachments _and_ Naraku himself…

* * *

"Kuso…" Inuyasha snarled as he picked up Naraku's scent several hours away.

"What do you sense Inuyasha?" Sango called down from Kirara.

"It's Naraku… I think Kagome's in trouble."

"She'll be fine; Youko and Hiei are with her." Miroku reminded him.

"Not even the three of them are enough to take on Naraku and his entire army…" Inuyasha said before pushing to his top speed, racing toward the soon to be battle field.

Sango's eyes widened and she commanded Kirara to pick up the pace. They needed to get to Kagome as quickly as they possibly could or there wouldn't be a Kagome to save.

* * *

Youko couldn't take it anymore and neither could Hiei. They had remained hiding in the trees watching Kagome fight off Naraku's entire army for almost half an hour now. Yes she was doing exceptionally well and hadn't even been touched by a single claw yet but they could tell she was growing tired. Her barrier was still in place and it was definitely helping to keep her protected from Kagura's random attacks but it would disappear if she lost too much energy.

Hiei had said it would be best for them to stay hidden for a short time so that Naraku would let his guard down. If he believed that Kagome was the only one there fighting then he wouldn't be as alert and they could catch him by surprise. Their goal was to sneak their way around the battle field and attempt to take Shippo from Naraku's grasp. Since Hiei was the fastest, he decided that Youko should stay where he was just in case Kagome needed assistance. Youko could easily reach her within seconds from where he was but if he went with Hiei to save Shippo, they probably wouldn't get to her in time.

Kagome glared in anger at the thousands of demons that surrounded her. She was getting tired but she couldn't stop… she couldn't give up. She had to save Shippo. Kagome briefly considered that it would have been smarter to bring at least Kirara with her but she quickly changed her mind. If she had taken anyone with her, she would have been putting them in danger as well and she didn't want any of her friends getting hurt… not anymore. She just couldn't take it if she lost one of them…

Gathering all of her energy, she pushed it into her barrier and concentrated on her power. Moments later, dozens of arrows made of raw purification shot out from the barrier in every direction. No matter how many demons the arrows hit, they continued to push through the ranks, destroying anything demonic in its path. One even managed to nick Kagura and Kagome could easily see the wind witch was in excruciating pain.

Suddenly Kagome felt a strong demonic aura rushing toward Naraku and Kagome's gaze whipped toward the wicked hanyou. Her eyes widened as she saw Hiei running at top speed toward her unconscious kit and hope filled her entire being. Her aura pulsed to life with new found exhilaration and the little miko dove back into battle. She pulled her barrier closer to her body as she pushed into a front handspring step out round off back handspring step out round off back handspring full twisting layout, destroying every demon she touched as she rushed toward Naraku and his detachments.

Naraku turned narrowed eyes to the hybrid rushing toward him and ordered for Hakudoshi to kill him quickly. Hiei dove into his battle against the child as Youko leapt from the trees and entered the battle as well. Using his power over plants, he quickly disposed of the remaining low level demons before rushing to Kagome's side to assist her. She was currently fighting off both Kagura and Kohaku and was slowly losing. Youko pulled out his Rose Whip and attacked Kagura before she could throw another Dance of Blades toward his future mate.

Kagome sighed in relief when she saw Youko enter the battle field. She was able to breathe a little easier knowing that she had a little help even though she truly didn't want him or Hiei there. If they got hurt, she didn't know what she would do. She smiled her thanks as Youko took Kagura off her hands and glanced over to see how Hiei was holding up against Hakudoshi. To her surprise, he was doing quite well, didn't have a scratch on him in fact. Hakudoshi on the other hand looked like he'd been dragged through the seventh layer of hell.

Turning her full concentration to Kohaku, Kagome tried to think of a way to remove the boy's shard without it killing him. There had to be some way to keep him alive without the shard and Kagome was determined to figure it out. Watching Sango's brother carefully, she braced herself when she saw his muscles tense, preparing to attack. Once he was in motion, Kagome dodged and fell back into a standing back handspring back tuck, effectively kicking his sickle from his grasp as her legs flew up for the handspring. Now that he was unarmed, she would be able to knock him unconscious with ease.

Hiei snorted in disgust as he drove him katana through his opponent's chest. Hakudoshi stood staring up at him with shocked eyes before stumbling to the ground with his last breath. It had taken Hiei a lot longer to dispose of the irritating demon than he had thought but now wasn't the time to ponder over such thoughts. Now he needed to rescue Kagome's kit and get him to safety while they defeated Naraku once and for all. Just as the hybrid was turning toward said hanyou he was intending to destroy, a tentacle stabbed him through the stomach, causing him to snarl in pain.

Hearing the familiar sound of tearing flesh, Kagome turned her attention away from the now unconscious Kohaku to Hiei only to feel her heart stop. There Hiei stood with a tentacle protruding from his stomach. His face hid any and all emotion but his eyes gave away the true pain he was experiencing. Kagome placed a barrier around Kohaku before quickly running to the injured hybrid as he cut the limb and pulled it out of his stomach. He winced slightly but remained standing. Growling in irritation, he turned a deadly glare toward Naraku, who was still holding the unconscious Shippo.

"Hiei! Are you alright?" Kagome flustered as she reached his side, resting her hand on his back as she briefly examined the wound.

"Stop worrying about me onna, our goal is to get the kit." Hiei growled, though not as intensely as before. Kagome nodded and turned a fierce glare at the vile hanyou. They didn't have much time left before the poison would start taking the kit's life so Kagome knew they had to work quickly. With her hand still on the hybrid's back, she used her fingers to order him to attack from the right while she rushed at him from the left. Youko was finishing off Kagura with ease and Kagome was sure that the kitsune would figure out what they were doing and eventually jump in to assist.

Just before they were about to attack, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Kirara entered the battlefield. This meant she could change up the plans. Inuyasha was at their side in seconds and Youko joined them as well while Sango and Miroku ran to Kohaku to check his wounds. Kagome told the guys to detract Naraku for as long as they possibly could but gave no reason why before she ran off into the surrounding forest. She whistled sharply and smiled as Kirara came running.

Leaping onto the neko's back, Kagome directed her to run toward where Naraku's heart was with Kanna. Kagome leapt off the fire cats back once she spotted the albino demon. She ordered Kirara to leave because she didn't want to take the chance of her soul being taken. Turning her full attention to Kanna, Kagome formed a barrier around herself as she slowly approached. Kanna's emotionless face remained blank as she held the baby that was Naraku's only weakness… his human heart.

"Kanna… I can help you if you help me. I can set you free from Naraku's grasp." Kagome said as she slowly made her way closer to the demon. A flicker of hope appeared in the child's eyes as she turned her gaze from Kagome to the infant in her arms. Without a word, Kanna placed her mirror on the ground and stepped toward the miko slowly. Kagome smiled her thanks as Kanna handed the baby to Kagome with slight hesitation.

"Now we'll defeat Naraku and free you from him. Thank you Kanna." Kagome said quietly before slowly backing away.

"Thank you miko…" the girl whispered silently but loud enough for Kagome to hear. The miko smiled softly before running back toward the battlefield with a smirk on her face. Once she entered the clearing, everything seemed to freeze. Naraku stared at her with slight horror as everyone else seemed surprised and relieved.

"Release Shippo and I won't purify your heart." Kagome threatened bravely.

Naraku snorted and threw Shippo hard into a nearby tree. Youko rushed to the kit as Kagome let out a cry of horror. "You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Kagome snapped as she pushed her purification into her hands. Within seconds, the infant that was Naraku's heart was mere ash that was falling between Kagome's fingers. Naraku cried out in agony. Without hesitation, everyone attacked him at once. Sango combined her Hiraikotsu with Miroku's staff while Inuyasha threw his Wind Scar. Hiei released a black dragon from his arm and to finish him off; Kagome threw the last of her purification directly at him and didn't even bother to watch his death as she rushed to Shippo and Youko.

Kagome dropped to her knees when she reached them and was confused to see that Youko was just staring down at Shippo and not making an antidote. "Youko, why aren't you…"

"I'm sorry Kagome…" he interrupted her, refusing to meet her gaze.

Kagome's heart stopped as her mind realized what Youko was saying. Shaking her head furiously, Kagome felt tears sting her eyes as she stared down at her kit. "No… no no no." she muttered as she placed her ear to his little chest, expecting to hear a heartbeat… but there was none. Her vision blurred as she shook her head once more in denial. Pulling the kitsune into her arms, she held his head in her hand and shook him slightly.

"Shippo… come on sweetie, it's time to wake up." she said quietly, shaking him a bit more. She hiccupped a sniffle as she continued to shake her kit. "Shippo, wake up… please wake up…" she whispered, burying her face in his shirt as her tears intensified. Tears trailed down Sango's cheeks as she dropped to her knees beside Kagome. Miroku turned away and buried his face in his hands. He could no longer sense the kit's life energy… Shippo was dead.

Inuyasha moved forward and kneed down in front of Kagome with a scowl. "He's fine, he's just playing his little tricks again. Alright runt, knock it off, you're scaring everyone." Inuyasha demanded, poking Shippo's leg softly. He still wouldn't move. Inuyasha growled and ordered that Shippo stop messing around or he was going to take his pocky but the kit remained limp in Kagome's arms as she continued to sob into the material of his shirt. The scent of death slowly made itself present in Inuyasha's nose and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Wake up runt, this isn't funny anymore!" Inuyasha yelled, feeling tears sting at his eyes as well.

Kagome placed Shippo's body on the ground and turned her tearful gaze up to Youko. "Did we not get to him in time?" she asked through her tears.

Youko shook his head. "It was too late… the poison was slowly killing him but Naraku broke his neck when he threw him…"

At this point, Kagome completely broke down. She hadn't been strong enough to save her kit and because of her weakness… now he was dead.

"This can't be happening… why Shippo?" Sango cried, turning her gaze up to the skies. "WHY SHIPPO!? Of all people, why an innocent child!" she yelled toward the heavens, knowing whoever was up there could hear her. Miroku pulled Sango into his arms gently and sat there quietly as the slayer cried on his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair and allowed his tears to disappear among her dark tresses.

Inuyasha stood with a snarl and darted off into the forest. It wasn't long before everyone heard his roars of anger followed by a tree hitting the forest floor with a loud crash. Hiei gathered Naraku's half of the jewel and placed it on the ground beside Kagome. He wasn't sure what to do… He had grown close to the little kitsune as well and was angry that he couldn't save him in time. Hiei desperately desired to search out several demons to slaughter in order to sate him lust for Naraku to be brought back just so he could kill the hanyou slowly and painfully.

Kagome continued crying over her dead kit's body, refusing to let go just yet. Youko was finally able to remove her from the ground only to have her soak her tears in his tunic. He didn't care though… nothing mattered at that moment… Sure they defeated Naraku but at the cost of losing Shippo.

"I wish I had better control of my powers… if I did, I could have saved him…" Kagome muttered through her tears. Before anyone could respond to the miko's statement, a bright glow began to emit from not only the shards that rested in the bottle on Kagome's neck but also the chunk of Naraku's jewel pieces. With a bright flash, the jewel fused itself together and complete horror flooded everyone's faces as Kagome quickly faded from view before completely disappearing from Youko's grasp.

Kagome leapt to her feet desperately as she screamed out to her friends. "NO!! I don't want to go back! Not now!" Kagome cried, dropping to her knees when she suddenly found herself in complete darkness.

"Your wish was selfish… therefore your punishment is to return to your time and never pass through the well again." Kagome heard Midoriko's voice in the darkness and she slowly raised her head to stare at the great miko. "Your wish has been granted but you cannot return to the feudal era." she said quietly.

"But that wasn't my wish! Midoriko I wanted to wish Shippo back if I could! I don't care if I would be sent back to my time, as long as Shippo was fine." Kagome cried.

"I'm sorry Kagome… the wish has been made and the jewel is at peace. The jewel is no more now… you can return to your life before you were pulled to the past. You must move on and forget about the sorrows you faced in the past or they will tear you to pieces." Midoriko said as she slowly faded away.

"Wait! Please Midoriko; I can't go back to how my life used to be!" Kagome sobbed but it was too late. She was already back at the shrine… sitting beneath Goshiboku and the shade of its branches.

'_I could never forget the past… no matter how hard I try.'_

* * *

A/N:

That wraps up chapter 5. Lol so did anyone else cry when they read Shippo's death? I just wanna know cause I was crying the entire time I was writing it lol. Wow I'm pathetic. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed ^_^

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter Six: Forgotten Fire


	6. Forgotten Fire

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 6: Forgotten Fire

Kagome took a deep breath as she approached the large grey building she's been looking for. Closing her eyes for a moment, not caring who was looking at her oddly for standing in front of one of the many self defense schools in Tokyo without entering. It had been a month since the jewel threw her back to her time and to this day Kagome still refused to talk about what happened. When she didn't think about the final battle, she could function without breaking down into tears. After how hysterical she had gotten the first time her mother asked what happened, no one at the shrine dared to even think about questioning the miko.

After a week of depression and tears, Kagome locked up her emotions and memories of the past. It was better this way… she thought she could finally live a normal life but she'd soon learned how wrong she was. She realized that she missed the action and near death experiences she fought through in the past. So in order to sate her desire for action, the miko decided to apply as a teacher at a nearby self defense school. She held the fighting knowledge of a taijiya and she was sure she was beyond skilled enough to teach others how to fight.

Shaking her head clear, Kagome took another deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Her trained eyes scanned over the four people waiting for her at the center of the main room with large welcoming smiles. Two men and two woman, all in very good shape and slightly older than her. They seemed to watch her with critical eyes as she smiled and made her way toward them. Stopping before them, she bowed slightly.

"I am Kagome Higurashi, here applying to be a teacher." she said softly before straightening once more.

One woman, wearing a dark red fighting kimono, smiled to her and nodded her head. "What experience do you have with self defense?"

"I have plenty of experience. I've been taking classes since I was a child." She had no choice but to lie, I mean who would believe her if she said she had been trained by a demon slayer and a hybrid? She was quite confident in her fighting skills and she was sure that if they requested her to spar, it would seem as if she really had been taking lesson for years.

"And you are only 19?" one man asked curiously. He seemed the youngest of the four and also more curious about her than the others.

"Yes, but I am very confident in my skills." Kagome stated.

"If we are to hire you as a teacher, you would only be able to teach the young less advanced children. I'm quite sure you could not train skilled fighters."

Kagome held back the glare she was oh so tempted to throw at the woman standing next to the one wearing the red kimono. "I'm positive that I could successfully teach skilled students as well as amateurs."

"We shall gage your skills with a spar." the man that had yet to speak said before stepping forward and bowing before Kagome. The miko bowed as well before dropping into a defensive position. Her opponent seemed slightly surprised by her stance for a moment before swiftly delivering the first attack. Kagome sidestepped quickly and returned with an attack of her own. As they fought at a slow pace, Kagome assessed her opponent very carefully. She watched for any flaws in his defense as she continued to block and dodge each of his punches and kicks.

It didn't take her long to find her opportunity and she immediately took it, pushing back into a back flip and kicking the man in the chest with such force it slammed him down into the mat. Once she landed, Kagome turned swiftly and made to strike his neck, stopping just before her fingers could touch his skin. The man remained motionless as he stared up at her with shocked surprise. Kagome smiled gently as she straightened and bowed, signaling the end of their match.

Kagome turned her smile to the other three people present. "Thank you for your time." she bowed once more before turning on her heel and making her way to the front door.

"Miss Higurashi, did you not come here to become a teacher?" The woman in red asked, confused as to why she was leaving.

"Indeed, but I believe it would be in my best interest to find a different school that will provide more respect toward my skills. Again, I thank you for your time." Kagome smiled before walking out the door. Kagome sighed as she began to make her way down the street. Why did elders in her time have to be so doubtful of the skills of one her age? Just because they were older didn't mean they experienced more; it merely means they lived longer in order to teach others their skills.

"Miss Higurashi! Wait!" Hearing her name, Kagome stopped and turned to see the youngest man from the self defense school trying to catch up to her. He smiled his thanks once he reached her side. "May I request a moment of your time?" he questioned, nodding his head toward the coffee shop across the street. Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome nodded and followed the man into the building. He purchased lattes for them before sitting at a table away from the rest of the people in the restaurant.

"I must say that I was quite impressed by your fighting ability as well as your focus." he complimented after sipping his beverage.

Kagome smiled gratefully. "Thank you, it took years of training to get where I am now."

"I can see that, although you have only spent nineteen year on this planet, I believe that you are far more wise and experienced than this entire crowd put together." he said, referring to the other people in the coffee shop.

"I'm sorry to say this but I'm not going to work at the school, I've made my decision." the miko said, sipping her latte.

"That is not the reason I requested your time." he smiled in mischief.

"Then what exactly did you want to speak with me about?"

"A job opportunity that pays three times the salary a doctor makes." He smirked slightly at the spark of interest he saw flicker in Kagome's eyes.

Concealing her surprise, she narrowed her eyes at the man. "Elaborate please."

"How would you feel about working for the government as a secret agent?" he questioned bluntly.

Kagome stared at the man as if he had lost his mind. Was he kidding? With how serious the expression on his face was, he didn't seem to be. "I'm not sure if I completely understand what you mean…"

The man sighed as he glanced around to be sure no one was near enough to hear their conversation. "I can tell that your life is far more exciting that a mere cup of coffee and a small spar, or at least you want it to be. Secret agents for the government are sent on missions when the need arises. These missions usually consist of saving the world from people who believe they can control or destroy it."

'_Sounds like demons attempting to take over the world again…'_ Kagome muttered. Too bad there were no demons in her time, so he was obviously talking about humans. Speaking of there being no demons, Kagome realized that she would probably never have to use her miko powers again… she wondered for a moment if that would affect her in anyway before turning her full attention to the man sitting across from her. "I'm interested…"

He smiled and dove into a more detailed description of the duties and expectations of secret agents. He explained about the usual missions of stealing back important or expensive objects from the thieves. She knew she would enjoy those missions because she would be sneaking around stealing things and the thrill of trying not to be caught made her heart leap in excitement just as she thought of it. He also explained about the more dangerous missions that included her having to take down her enemy or to rescue someone that's been kidnapped. By the time the man finished, Kagome made her decision.

"I accept the job offer."

* * *

Kagome kept her breathing under control as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Her sharp hearing picked up a man hiding behind the curtain and before he could even draw his gun, Kagome shot him directly in the chest before moving on to focus on her task at hand. Catching slight movement from the corner of her eye, Kagome whipped around and shot the man that was aimed to take her out. Smirking as she saw the object of her mission just a few feet away, Kagome swore under her breath when she heard someone drop from the ceiling and pull her into a headlock before she could react. And she had been doing so well…

"Dead. That would have been game over for you Higurashi. Come on now, you need to focus. Remember to check everywhere and don't completely focus on your mission."

Kagome sighed and nodded as the man released her from the hold and returned his gun to the carrier at his waist. The others in the room stood and wiped off the paint marks on their suits after showing Kagome exactly where she had shot them.

"You have great and accurate shots Kagome but you need to keep your mind clear. You'll never survive against a dozen armed men if you're as distracted as you are now." Kengi lectured as Kagome returned her guns to their carriers.

"I understand. Give me one more round." she requested. Kengi sighed but nodded, signaling for the field to be fixed for another training round. Kagome took deep slow breaths as she tried to clear her mind and only think of what Kengi had told her. Kengi was the trainer for newbie agents at the secret facility that Kagome now worked at. After the first day of training with Kagome, Kengi had told the miko that she was by far the fastest learner he had ever met before. Before her first day of training, Kagome had never held a gun before. By the end of the day, she had a shot ten times more accurate than their top agents.

Kagome could go through a drill once, mess up, do it once more and pass with flying colors every time. She learned from her mistakes quickly and comprehended everything quite easily, not to mention her skills as a gymnast provided her with a great advantage. Usually the training process for a new agent took approximately 2 months but Kagome was almost finished within three weeks. Being the youngest agent Kengi had ever trained, he was quite curious of her but she didn't speak of her past or family. From the determination in her eyes, he could tell she was trying to make up for something that happened. She worked so hard and never gave up but he knew that if she was running or avoiding her past, it would catch up to her someday… it always did.

A week later, Kagome was standing before the head of the company accepting her badge from Kengi. She had completed her training and was being sent on her very first mission. The trainer proudly led Kagome to the equipment room as he handed her a folder. She opened it and examined the papers inside.

"Your first mission is quite simple if you stick to your training and the exact orders given to you. Your assignment is to sneak into the location provided unseen. Make your way to the room on the right wing but be careful, it will be heavily guarded with cameras and sensors. You are to sneak into the room without being detected and make copies of the files in the computers. This is very important Kagome and it could be dangerous if you're caught." Kengi explained as he handed her an M60 machine gun as well as Beretta 93R handgun. Kagome took them without hesitation and placed them in her gun carriers attached to her thighs as she continued to follow him around the room.

"I know you can do this easily but please be careful and stick to your orders." Kengi said, seeming slightly worried. To be honest, he had become attached to the young girl and saw her as a daughter he never had. He kept his emotions in check as he grabbed several objects and handed them to her. She knew what each gadget's function was so there was no need for him to explain anything else to her. Nodding his head, he motioned for her to follow him once more. Kagome felt her excitement grow as she realized they were headed to the garage.

Kengi opened the door for her before following behind and shutting the door. Flipping the lights on, Kagome stared at all the expensive cars parked in the oversized garage. Kengi smiled as he grabbed a particular pair of keys and tossed then to Kagome. The miko turned her bright eyes to her trainer.

"Which one?"

"The silver Porsche 911 GT2. It can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds and 100 mph in 8.4 using its standard 6-speed manual transmission. It's got 480 horsepower and a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat six engine." Kengi explained, pointing directly at one of the cars that caught Kagome's attention first. Her smile only grew larger as he continued to describe the car.

"And it's stick shift?" she questioned.

"Yes, it's manual. I could tell you enjoyed driving manual cars more during the driving training so I requested a specific order for you." Kengi laughed when the girl pulled him into a tight hug, repeatedly chanting 'thank you' before skipping over to her brand new car. She nearly squealed in delight as she slid into the driver's seat and admired the black leather interior. Kengi rolled his eyes as he opened the garage.

"All I ask is for you to come back in one piece."

Kagome nodded as she pushed her keys in the ignition and started the car. Smirking at the wonderful sound of its engine purr, Kagome peeled out of the garage skillfully before disappearing down the street.

* * *

Kagome slipped the mini cam down through the vent she was kneeling over. Making sure no one was in sight and that the security cameras weren't facing her, she pulled the vent cover away before gracefully dropping to the ground. moving quickly, the agent attached little box shaped devices to each camera before pressing a button on her belt and stealthily continuing on to the main vault chamber. The devices she attached to the cameras repeated what the camera saw within the last 5 minutes, therefore practically making Kagome invisible to the guards watching the cameras.

Her senses on high alert, Kagome pulled a triangular gadget from her pocket and placed it on the vault door. Pressing several buttons, she smirked to herself when she heard a soft 'click' sound and watched as the vault pushed open very slowly. Retrieving her gadget from the entrance, she replaced it in her pocket before closing the door and continuing on. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. Pulling out a spray bottle, Kagome released the misty chemical into the air before her and watched as the bright red trip sensors appeared. She rolled her eyes as she realized they were arranged in different directions so that an intruder wouldn't be able to merely step over each red line.

Sighing to herself, Kagome took several steps back as she analyzed each red line's location. Taking a deep breath, Kagome pushed off and dove over the first alarm, rolling forward under the next before pushing off her feet into two front handsprings. Landing perfectly on her feet, she carefully sidestepped the last four sensors before she finally reached her goal. Wasting no time, Kagome popped her disk drive into the computer and began copying every file in the system. Just as the process was finishing, Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat when she heard voices directly outside the vault entry.

Thankful that the copy was complete, she quickly grabbed her disk drive before pulling out a gun and shooting it toward the ceiling. The end quietly attached to the ceiling and Kagome clipped it to her belt before pulling herself up. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched two men check on everything in the vault room before leaving. Once they were gone, Kagome ascending back to the ground before quickly leaving the facility. Mission complete.

* * *

It had been a month since Kagome's first mission and ever since then, she'd been on several others. Because of her job, she was rarely able to see her family because of how busy she was, not to mention it was a risk for her to communicate with them. If any of her enemies caught her visiting her family or traced her back to the shrine, they could use her family against her and Kagome wanted none of that. She wanted her family to be safe and have the opportunity to live a normal life… though she wasn't sure how normal it was for their 19 year old daughter to be one of the top agents for the government.

She'd sprung to the top after her and several of her fellow agents were sent on a mission to rescue the senator's daughter. She had been kidnapped and Kagome was the one that successfully infiltrated their security systems before sneaking into the main room filled with dozens of armed men. She was somehow able to only suffer one bullet wound to her shoulder but was still able to reach the daughter. With the help of her team, they were able to safely return the girl to her father.

Being one of the best agents, Kagome was assigned to the most important and potentially dangerous missions. On every mission, Kagome looked death straight in the eye and somehow managed to survive. She got great pay and she enjoyed every second of her job but she felt like something was missing… ever since she joined the agency, Kagome hadn't thought about the feudal era once. She hadn't thought about demons, about the family that she didn't get the change to say goodbye to, the demons she had fallen in love with, or the child she'd lost. All of that was lost in the darkness of her worst nightmares and Kagome felt as if it had never really happened.

There were no demons in her time… no reason for her to remember what happened, so why hold onto those painful memories? She saw no point in keeping them so she locked them away deep within her mind where she would never see them again. Her life was different now… demon didn't exist anymore… she would never see her friends again. With Kagome's life slowly turning completely human, she didn't realize that she too was beginning to turn human. She never realized that when she locked up her memories of the past that her miko powers were also locked away as well. She never thought about it though because she didn't use her powers anymore, there was no need for them… not in her time.

One morning, three days after she finished her latest assignment, Kengi called her in. Kagome was at the main office within minutes and sat across from Kengi and her boss. He slid her a file and she opened it, examining the papers.

"Do you recall the very first mission we ordered you on?"

"Of course, I could never forget my first." she answered, turning a curious stare toward the two men.

"The data you received was information on a plot that we suspect one of the richest men in china is working on. We were finally able to piece together all the information and have decided to investigate. His name is Kanomaru and he owns the second largest water park in China. His main laboratory is located here in Tokyo and we have reasons to believe that he has a team working on a deadly virus." Kagome boss explained.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared down at the papers on the desk before her. "What does he plan to do with this deadly virus?"

"We believe that his goal is to infect all of Tokyo. He has also created an antivirus and we're quite positive that if we are correct about the construction of the virus, his plan is to make a fortune on selling the antivirus to all that have been infected." Kengi stated.

Kagome nodded slowly as she examined the blue prints of the lab building. "So I'm guessing you want me to sneak into the building, steal both the virus and the antivirus and destroy any data on their computer systems so they cannot recreate this virus?"

"Yes but you need to be careful… this is by far the most dangerous mission we have ever assigned you Kagome."

Kagome rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. "No worries, they can't get me if I get them first." she winked before exiting the room and heading toward the garage. Sliding into her beloved sports car, she quickly exited the premises. Once she reached her destination, she parked her expensive car several blocks away from the lab building and pressed a button on her key chain. Turning in her seat, she waited patiently as her back seat flipped upside down to reveal her collection of gadget and devices.

Clicking the button again, she glanced up as the material on the roof of her vehicle slid back to reveal her personal variety of guns attached to the ceiling. Arming herself with an M60 machine gun, an AK-47 assault rifle, and a Blackhawk Ruger revolver, she concealed her guns once more before loading her belt and pockets with extra ammo as well as all the different gadgets she would need for this particular mission. Returning the back seat to normal and securing her guns in place, she stepped out of the car and locked the doors.

* * *

Kagome held her breath as she pressed herself hard against the ceiling of the hallway. She glared down at the three guards that pasted by her almost too slowly for her comfort before disappearing around the corner. Letting out the breath she was holding, she slowly slid down to the ground from her grapple that was connected to the ceiling. Unhooking her grapple, she stealthily made her way down the hall. Being sure to avoid passing where the cameras pointed, she quietly snuck to the main lab that she believed the virus was being held in.

Checking her surroundings as she approached the door that led to the lab, Kagome pulled on a pair of glasses and examined the entire room beyond the door. The glasses gave her the ability to see body head, therefore showing her exactly where and how many guards were on the opposite side of the door she was about to enter. Marking each guard's location in her head, she took note of the three she would have to take out first. The other two seemed to be behind machinery so Kagome was sure she would have time to shoot the first three before taking down the last of them.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome unhooked her revolver and attached a silencer to it before slowly wedging the door open. Smirking as she realized none of them were facing her at that particular moment, she skillfully shot two of the three she needed to take care of first before fully pushing the door open and quickly taking down the last. The last two guards panicked and split up, both diving for either a gun or the security alarm. Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat as she shot the man reaching for the alarm before turning to aim at the last guard.

Unfortunately, he was able to fire his gun before Kagome could. He successfully shot her in the thigh before her bullet drilled him through the chest, instantly killing him. Hissing at the pain, Kagome did her best to ignore her wound and pull herself to her feet. Spotting the virus, as well as the antivirus, Kagome quickly stuffed them in her zipper pocket at her uninjured thigh. Sucking in her groan of pain, she made her way to the door and exited quickly.

Kagome nearly swore when she heard voices approaching her from a pair of double doors on her right. Moving quickly, she pulled out her grapple for the second time that day and suspended herself up until she was pressed against the ceiling like before. Not daring to even breathe, she watched a heavily armed group of men exited the doorway directly below her. She felt the urge to scream in frustration as they stopped for a moment to speak to others that were still in the room they exited. She released her breath as they began to walk away.

Unfortunately, just as the last man was leaving, a drop of Kagome blood from her wound fell and landed on his shoulder. Kagome's eyes widened as the man brushed his shoulder off and stared at the blood in confusion before turning his gaze up toward the ceiling. Before the man could register what he'd seen, Kagome kicked him hard enough to knock him unconscious. Hearing a loud thud of their fellow guard's body hitting the ground, the group turned around to see Kagome running down the hall toward the entrance room where the front door was located.

Kagome swore under her breath as the alarm sounded loudly throughout the entire building. Reloading her revolver as she continued running, she secured it in its carrier as she shoved the doors open that brought her to the entrance room. Gun fire coming from her left, right, and behind her; she dove behind one of the many couched that littered the lobby. Grasping her AK-47 tightly in her grasp, she peeked over the top of the couch to locate several of the men before ducking once more as they fired at her. Moving quickly, she raised her assault rifle onto the edge of the couch and blew away the closest guards.

She had been firing at random men for what seemed like hours. Reload, locate, aim, shoot. When she finally thought she was safe, dozens more men came crashing through the door guns blaring. Growling in frustration and ignoring her still bleeding bullet wound, Kagome unhooked her M60 machine gun and positioned it at the door. Smirking, she pulled the trigger and watched as several men fell to the ground. To her horror, some of the men she had shot either didn't die or stood right back up as if they hadn't been injured at all.

What the hell was happening here? Clearing her mind, she quickly reloaded both her guns as she threw a grenade directly at her enemies. Once she heard it explode, she leapt up from her shield and fired repeatedly at anyone she set her eyes on. She was beginning to grow tired and whimpered as she watched more men pile into the room, pushing aside the dead bodies of their comrades and taking their ammo for themselves. Just as Kagome was about to give up, throw all the grenades she had, and run for it, the front doors flung open loudly.

Kagome turned her blue eyes to the double doors that stood directly behind her and felt her world come to a freezing halt. There, standing in the doorway were four teenagers. One with black slicked back hair had a cocky smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. The tallest of the group had orange colored hair in an elvis style while the boy standing beside him possessed long red hair and piercing green eyes. The boy that caught her attention though was the one dressed in all black. He was the one that made her memories of the past come crashing back like a slap in the face. There standing only a few feet away from her was Hiei.

Everyone stood staring at the beautiful girl hiding behind a couch with a gun in each hand. She was dressed in black jeans that had several pockets that seemed to be quite full, black combat boots and a black shirt that reached just above her belly button, exposing a large amount of her perfectly toned stomach. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was staring at them as if she'd seen a ghost. Hiei stood there stock still as he stared at the miko he thought he'd never see again. He knew it was her by her wonderful scent he missed so much.

The moment was ruined when the guards began firing off their guns once more. Kagome snapped back to reality and dove to the side of the couch and shot down as many men as she had bullets before swiftly reloading. She wasn't worried about the four new comers because if they were against her then the men after her wouldn't have fired at them. Her theory was confirmed when she saw the boys duck for cover behind the dozens of couches near her. Focusing on her task at hand, Kagome peeked over the couch once more to see that there were only a few men left, and they were only the individuals that didn't seem to die.

Groaning in irritation, Kagome was about to reach for another grenade when the boy with dark hair caught her attention. He had left the safety of his couch and was pointing his finger at the last remaining men. Kagome was about to tackle him down so the men couldn't shoot him when she felt the hairs on her arms rise on end. Her blue eyes widened in surprise as she watched a blue type of energy form at the boy's finger tips before blasting directly at the last guards. He smirked in triumph before turning his gaze to her in question.

Kagome stood slowly as the four boys approached her. She narrowed her eyes as the man that looked freakishly similar to her old friend Hiei stepped toward her as well as the boy with dark hair. Moving so fast that the boys could have sworn she wasn't human, Kagome lifted her guns and pointed them at the two boys. She glared at them fiercely, feeling satisfaction as they stopped in their tracks. The dark haired boy held his hands up while the one dressed in black held a deep rooted hurt look in his crimson eyes.

"Who are you and what are you doing here." she demanded coldly.

"Kagome… do you not remember me?" the boy that resembled Hiei asked, staring at her in confusion.

Kagome's grip on her gun tightened as she turned her glare at him. "You are NOT him! I'm not stupid! Hiei was very skilled in concealing his emotions!" she snapped angrily.

"Kagome, you have to believe me…" Hiei murmured, trying to step closer to her. She growled in warning and repositioned her gun to aim directly at his skull.

"Get away from me. Demons do not exist any longer, therefore you are _not_ Hiei." she said through her teeth.

"Miss please, we are not here to hurt you." the teen with red hair spoke, holding his hands up as well. "We were sent here on a mission."

"Guys, she's injured. She needs a doctor…" the boy with orange hair pointed out and as if he had called her wound to attention, she felt a burning pain shoot up her leg. Kagome did her best to remain standing but the pain was abnormally excruciating. Never before had a gunshot wound been so painful… perhaps those bastards bathed their bullets in poison before loading their guns. That was the last thought that processed through Kagome's mind before she fell unconscious.

Hiei quickly moved to catch the miko before she hit the ground. He kicked her guns away before lifting her into his arms and turning to his teammates. At this particular moment, Youko so happened to awake from his slumber and nearly caused Kurama permanent hearing problems from the loud yell he produced.

*It's Kagome! Hiei?! What the hell happened?!?* The fox exploded.

'Explanations later, we need to get her to Botan for healing.' Hiei growled before turning to Yusuke. The hybrid didn't even have to ask; Yusuke was already flipping his communicator open and yelling for Botan to pick them up. Everyone remained silent as they waited for the reaper to make a portal for them. Once it appeared, everyone walked through without hesitation. Upon entering the demi lord's office, they were immediately questioned.

"Did you guys get the virus?" Botan questioned, not noticing the unconscious girl in Hiei's arms.

"Have you all lost your minds?! Since when are you allowed to bring humans to the spirit realm without my consent?!?!" Koenma yelled, glaring at them.

"Shut it toddler. She needs healing." Yusuke said, ignoring his angry rants. Everyone watched as two ogres entered the office with a stretcher. Hiei placed the girl down before promptly following them to the recovery room. What surprised them further was the fact that Kurama was hot on their heels as well.

* * *

Kagome woke to the sound of beeping. Not quite remembering what happened to have resulted in her presence at a hospital, Kagome kept her eyes shut as she thought for a moment. She wasn't even sure if she was in a hospital… it didn't smell like the one at the agency… Slowly opening her eyes, Kagome nearly panicked as she realized she was in an unknown location. Reaching down to grasp her gun, she froze when she felt it missing. Looking down, she swore under her breath to see all her weapons missing. She was about to stand from the bed and search for her weapons when the sound of voices outside her door alerted her of the company she was about to have. Thinking quickly, Kagome glanced up to see the vent and smirked.

"How did she possibly have so many weapons on her?" Kurama questioned, surprised at the amount of deadly equipment the girl had on her person. Where did she hide all of it? In total, Botan was able to find four knives, six grenades, the virus and antivirus they had been there to retrieve, loads of ammo for her guns, a pistol, a grapple, and several other gadgets that a secret agent would use to sneak into highly secure locations without being caught. If he didn't know any better, he could swear this woman was a kitsune.

*Her skills must have improved since we last saw her.* Youko mused quietly. Kurama didn't even bother to ask his counterpart what he was talking about because for the past hour he'd been trying to pry information out of him. He refused to reveal any information, only randomly made comments that further confused Kurama. They were currently on their way to the girl's recovery room to check on her. All they knew about her, from what Hiei had said, it that her name was Kagome and that she wasn't any ordinary human. Reaching for the handle, Kurama pushed the door open silently only to stare in shock at the empty room.

"Botan, are you certain this is the correct room?" the avatar questioned. Botan nodded as she moved to look into the room before nearly panicking.

"Oh no! Where could she have gone? This is the only hallway that leads to the recovery rooms! We would have seen her if she tried to escape!" the reaper said.

Hiei snorted as a smirk spread across his face. "Where does the ventilation system go?"

"From here? To my office then throughout the entire building." Koenma explained, confused.

Without another word, Hiei left the small room and made his way back to the toddler's office. Kurama glanced up and was slightly surprised to see the vent covering had been moved, signifying that Kagome had indeed escaped through the ventilation. Youko demanded that he follow Hiei, so the avatar sighed and quickened his pace to catch up to the apparition, everyone else following at his heels. Hiei quietly opened the double doors to Koenma's office and turned to glare at everyone.

"Be silent or we will be spending the remainder of the day tracking this onna down throughout the entire building's vents." Hiei murmured before moving to stand in the shadows of the dim room. Getting the clue, everyone relocated themselves to hide from the view of the only vent in the entire office. They didn't have to wait long. They heard the dull scrapping sound of the covering being moved before the soft sound of her dropping to the ground could be heard. Being the closest to her, Yusuke stood from his spot and reached to grab her before she could escape the office.

He was shocked out of his mind when she suddenly grabbed his arm and flipped him over her head before slamming him quite painfully into the ground. He stared up at the raven hair girl with wide surprised eyes as she glared down at him coldly, still holding his arm as she pressed her boot to his chest to keep him from standing.

"Where have you taken me." she demanded.

"To Reikai so we could heal your wounds." Hiei said as he stepped away from the shadows. Glaring at her, he nodded his head toward the boy she had against the ground. "Release the idiot."

"Make me you cocky demon." she growled, pissed that this demon thought he could trick her into believing he was Hiei.

Hiei smirked as he rested his hand on the hilt of his katana. "You couldn't defeat me if you tried onna." he snorted.

Kagome felt her glare soften as she stared at the man before her. That was definitely something the real Hiei would say… but how was he alive? Demons didn't exist anymore. "Prove it."

"Hn." was his response and Kagome felt her anger defuse within seconds as she stared at the hybrid she missed so much.

"Hiei…" she murmured, her grasp on the boy's arm loosening as she felt her knees buckle. The past that she had worked so hard to keep locked away was quickly flooding back at her and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. Memories of the feudal era, Hiei training her, saving Youko, jewel shard hunting… Shippo. Kagome felt her chest clench as tears trailed down her cheeks. "Hiei…" She sobbed, this time it wasn't spoken in remembrance, but in a cry for help.

To everyone's surprise, the hybrid made his way over to the crying girl and sat down beside her. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as if he would disappear if she let go. Her face buried in his shirt she continued to sob as she soaked his clothing. Hiei sighed as he remained where he sat, draping an arm around the girl's midsection as her body shook from her cries. Youko watched in envy as Hiei held Kagome as he wished he could at the moment. He knew that he couldn't reveal himself to her at the moment though. From her reaction to seeing Hiei, he wasn't sure what she would do if she saw him.

It was quite obvious that Kagome had sealed off her memories of the past in order to continue on with life. If she had mourned and gotten over the death of her kit and the fact that she would never see her friends from the past again, then she wouldn't have reacted like she had when she saw Hiei. She probably would have cried a little but at the moment she looked as if she were traumatized and in deep depression… as if the memories of the past had come crashing back on her without giving her time to accept what had occurred. Now that everyone was thoroughly confused, Youko decided it wasn't fun to keep them guessing any longer. He released his memories of his past with Kagome to Kurama and allowed him access to everything he knew about the miko. Since Kagome still seemed to possess his claim mark, it was only fair that Kurama knew about his future mate.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Koenma stared at the scene before them in confusion. They didn't understand why the girl was crying or how she knew Hiei. They had never seen the hybrid act like this before toward anyone so they weren't even sure what to do. Even Kurama was at a loss of words. Youko had just finished explaining everything to him and now he felt a slight pang of jealously toward the hybrid still holding Kagome.

-So wait… you're telling me that you placed a claim on her but we must share her with Hiei?-

*It is very common for a demon to take on more than one mate Kurama and you know that*

-But she's not a demon!-

*But we are, that's all that matters*

Kurama sighed as he glanced at the beautiful girl once more. –I never thought we would end up in a situation like this… Why didn't you tell me about her before?-

*I never thought I would see her again…* Youko murmured. Kurama remained silent when he heard the tone in his counterpart's voice. It was quite obvious that Youko missed Kagome and it was probably tearing him apart to see her in such a state but not able to comfort her.

"So demons do still exist in this time?" Kagome asked quietly as she wiped her tears away and finally released Hiei.

The hybrid nodded slowly as he watched her take a few deep breaths and recollect herself. After a moment, she stood from the ground and smiled brightly, though it was obvious it didn't quite reach her eyes. Kurama was could feel Youko's desire to pull the miko into their arms and hug her tightly and it was so strong it made him feel as if it were his own desire. Kagome turned her smile toward them and she bowed slightly.

"Hello I'm Kagome Higurashi, who are you?"

Hiei glanced between Kurama and the miko with great confusion in his crimson eyes. "Kagome… you can't tell?"

Confused, the miko turned to her apparition friend in question. "What are you talking about?"

Hiei pointed at Kurama and she turned her blue eyes to him. She stared at him for a moment before turning her confused gaze back to Hiei. "What?"

Youko felt as if his heart had shattered into a million pieces. *She's powerful enough to feel my aura… so that means she doesn't remember me…* Youko murmured.

Kurama felt his counterpart's sadness wash over him in waves and he frowned. How could Kagome forget her potential mate? Hiei stared at Kagome in surprise as he moved to stand beside her. "Use your powers."

Kagome's smile slowly faded as she turned her blank gaze up to the hybrid. "I… they're…. gone…" she muttered.

"Wait, what power does she have?" Koenma questioned, not able to say quiet anymore.

"I'm a miko… well I used to be." she answered, staring down at the ground emotionlessly.

"What do you mean your powers are gone? What happened to them?" Kurama asked in surprise, though it was Youko who had pushed forward to ask the question.

"I don't know… I haven't used them for so long that they eventually just… disappeared." she explained.

Everyone turned their gaze to Koenma and Botan. "Is that possible?" Hiei questioned.

"Well it is possible, how do you think miko's became extinct to this day?"

"You're telling me that one of the most powerful mikos to ever exist can just _loose_ her powers after not using them for a few months?" Kurama questioned. Everyone was slightly surprised by the anger in the avatar's voice, and he most definitely caught Kagome's attention. Kagome stared at him hard for quite some time, effectively gaining everyone else's attention to her.

"You… remind me of someone… but you're right. After all my hard training and dedication it can't possibly be true that my powers just left me. I know for a fact that the jewel didn't take them away so I guess I just have to try and reignite the fire."

Hiei stared at the miko in curiosity. Were her powers really that weak? Even when she didn't have control of her powers, she could still sense demons. From what he had seen the other day, Kagome looked as if she was seeing Reiki for the first time in her life. Hiei turned his gaze to Yusuke and smirked. Speaking of Reiki…

"Detective, shoot the miko with your Spirit Gun." Hiei ordered.

Everyone turned to the hybrid as if he'd lost his mind. "Say what? You want me to kill her?" Yusuke asked in shocked confusion.

"No you idiot. She's a miko; her powers will absorb your energy attack and perhaps reawaken her powers." Hiei rolled his eyes.

Kagome turned her gaze to the boy known as Yusuke. "You're the one that fired the spirit ki at those… demons." She stuttered, not used to using that particular word anymore.

"You… you forgot… Kagome, you forgot about everything. That's it isn't it?" Kurama asked, his eyes flashing gold.

Kagome turned her gaze from Yusuke to the red head and her eyes widened. Two things Kagome noticed about him made her world come crashing to a halt for the second time that day. First were his eyes which had been a vibrant green were now a molten gold that she could never forget. Second was the unmistakable strong aura that separated from Kurama's own aura. She wasn't used to seeing auras anymore but she could never forget that aura… no matter how hard she tried.

"Youko…" she murmured, staring at Kurama as tears began to sting at her eyes once more.

"Shoot her now, her powers are trying to resurface." Hiei commanded.

Yusuke hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his hands and aiming at the miko that was still staring at Kurama with unbelieving eyes. Closing his eyes, Yusuke tried to put the least amount of energy in the blast as he could before releasing the attack. Kagome turned just before the blast reached her and braced herself. When the energy hit her, she felt as if she touched an electrical outlet and was shocked. That shock trailed down her spine and stopped at her toes before zipping back up her body and disappearing. She shivered slightly before opening her eyes once more. She nearly gasped at the power surge she felt as she turned her gaze to the others in the room that were watching her intently.

Kagome stared with wide eyes at the individuals with demonic auras before staring at the girl with blue hair. She had a peculiar aura and she wasn't sure what she was as the woman smiled brightly. Kagome couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she felt her powers flood through her for the first time in months. It felt great… relieving… peacefully. She turned her blue eyes to Yusuke, the one who helped her reawaken her forgotten powers, and made her way over to him. Smiling softly, she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you… with your help, I've got my powers back."

Yusuke smiled sheepishly. "No problem but one question… since you're a _miko_ and all… please tell me you have control over those powers."

Kagome rolled her eyes and pulled away from the detective. "Of course I do. I didn't go through months of hard training for nothing. I guess when I locked away my past, my powers were locked away too."

"Miss Kagome, I don't mean to bring your past back along with your powers but I'm afraid I'll need you to explain exactly how you know Kurama and Hiei." Koenma said, stepping forward.

Kagome nodded slowly as she turned to glance at Kurama for a moment. Deciding to figure out what happened to Youko later, she took a deep breath before beginning her explanation. "Three years ago I was pulled down a well at my shrine by a centipede demon. I was unaware of it at the time but the legendary Shikon No Tama had been reborn in my body. Mistress Centipede ripped the jewel from my body and eventually I was the cause of the jewel shattering into hundreds of pieces. I met a hanyou, a taijiya, a monk," her eyes dropped to the ground as she paused for a moment and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "and a kitsune pup. Together, we traveled across feudal Japan in search of the shards so I could fuse the jewel back together. A hanyou by the name of Naraku was also collecting the shards but for his own selfish reasons. Once majority of the shards were gathered, half of them in our possession and half in Naraku's, the final battle began.

"We were battling against a tree demon with three shards and dozens of weak spider demons. This was before I had control of my powers and my only forms of defense were my purifying arrows. The spiders were too close for me to shoot so I ran. I tripped over Youko, who was injured and in his fox form, and somehow purified the spiders out of panic. I carried Youko back to the others and cleaned his wounds. When he healed, he decided to stick with the group and that's when Hiei kidnapped me." Kagome smiled at the memory as she turned to the hybrid.

"Hiei was after Naraku for stealing shards from him and he'd heard a rumor that Naraku was searching for the miko who could see the shards. At the time, he wasn't aware that my incarnation Kikyou had been brought back to life. So when he found our group and realized I could see the shards, he figured I was the miko Naraku was after. Youko came to my rescue and helped bring Hiei into the group as well. They helped in the final battle and after the jewel was fused, it threw me back here to my time."

"You got what you wanted, can the miko leave now?" Hiei growled, glaring at Koenma.

The demi god nodded slowly as he turned toward Botan. "Make them a portal please." He ordered before averting his attention back to Hiei. "I want her near you or Kurama for the time being in case I have further questions for her." he said as Botan formed a portal to their home. Hiei nodded briefly. Yusuke and Kuwabara disappeared through the portal first, followed by Hiei who was motioning for Kagome to follow behind him. She stopped before the portal and poked a finger through it hesitantly.

"It's fine, I'm right behind you."

Kagome turned to see Kurama smiling down at her and she took a deep breath before stepping through. The feeling of the portal was very similar to what she felt when she traveled between times through the well. It was a feeling she definitely missed. Once her feet touched the ground outside the portal, she held back her tears as she took a look at her surroundings. There was a beautiful house in front of her and it seemed to be completely encased in a dense forest. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to see all four of the boys were staring at her in question.

'This is our home, you can come in.' Kagome heard in her head and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She had almost forgotten that Hiei had telepathy… Sighing, she averted her gaze to the red head and stared at him for a moment. She could feel Youko… she could see his aura but there was another aura overpowering the kitsunes… as if Youko was trapped. Her eyes narrowing, she stepped toward Kurama and grabbed his hand. Without sparing the others a glance, she dragged the avatar toward the forest.

'_We'll be back, I need to have a moment with Youko… or whoever this is.' _Kagome thought to herself, knowing Hiei would hear her. She dragged Kurama behind her until she was safely away from any other demon ears to hear. Turning on her heel, she glared up at the attractive red head in accusation.

"Who are you and why have you trapped Youko's soul within you?!"

* * *

A/N:

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll update soon!

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter Seven: Beauty from Pain


	7. Beauty from Pain

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 7: Beauty from Pain

Kurama stared at the miko in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me; I can sense Youko's trapped within your body. Release him now and I won't harm you." Kagome threatened, continuing to glare at the red head that kidnapped her kitsune friend's soul.

Kurama repressed his laughter as he shook his head. "Kagome, I haven't stolen or captured Youko's soul. If I were to be precise, Youko sort of stole my body."

Now confused, Kagome shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

*Why don't you let me explain to her? She can be quite stubborn*

Kurama sighed and nodded as he allowed Youko to take control. Kagome watched in surprise as the red head before her slowly changed into the oh so familiar silver fox from her past. Within moments, Kagome was staring straight into the golden eyes of the kitsune that she was going to mate. She felt tears sting her eyes as she merely stood where she was, unsure if she was imagining things. Was Youko really standing before her or was this her mind playing cruel tricks on her?

"Kagome… I've missed you so much." Youko murmured, taking a step toward her.

Before she could stop herself, Kagome threw her arms around Youko without hesitation. She hugged him tightly, hoping that this wasn't a dream and that he would disappear once she woke up. The kitsune smiled softly and wrapped his arms around the sobbing miko. He held her close and waited for her tears to stop before pulling away from her enough to look into her tearful eyes.

"Kagome, I understand that this is confusing but you have to believe Kurama. 200 years after you disappeared, I was killed. My soul traveled the living world until I found a woman with child. In order to survive, I planted my soul within the body of the unborn child. My plan was to regain my strength in the child's body but I soon found that my soul had bound with Kurama's."

"So wait… I remember Sango telling me something like this. Since both your souls connected, Kurama is now an avatar?" Kagome questioned, refusing to release Youko from her grasp.

"Correct. Kurama holds dominate control over our body but I can take over when Kurama passes control over to me or if I have enough energy to take over." Youko explained.

Kagome closed her eyes to keep the headache she felt from coming. She placed her hand on her neck and felt Youko's mark still on her skin. "Youko… your mark is still on my neck so does that mean you still have a claim on me?"

"Of course but now it's a claim from both Kurama and I." Youko smirked and pulled her close against his chest. "You know… I really have missed you love."

Kagome blushed as she draped her arms over his shoulders. "Don't change the subject Youko. Explain what you mean about the claim being both yours and Kurama's."

Youko sighed. "Kurama and I share one body so if you accept me as your mate, Kurama will also be your mate."

Kagome groaned as she pulled away from Youko completely. "Alright… I think I can handle that. So you really are here? This isn't some crazy dream?"

Youko chuckled. "This is no dream. Now would you please explain to me what you were doing in that building full of demons with a _gun_?"

Kagome's gaze dropped to the ground as she turned away from Youko and began walking back toward the large building that was their home. Before she could get a mere foot away from where she was recently standing, a clawed hand wrapped around her wrist and held her in place.

"Kagome, what happened to you?"

The miko turned to Youko in anger as she yanked her arm away from him. "What happened to me? I lost my son! That's what happened to me! Because I wasn't strong enough to protect him, Naraku killed my kit! He relied on me to keep him safe and I couldn't even do that _after_ all Sango's training-"

"Kagome, Shippo's death was not your fault! There was nothing you or any of us could have done to save him in time." Youko said, trying to calm her. If Kagome honestly blamed Shippo's death on herself completely then she was probably in a great depression. She needed to understand that the kit's death wasn't because she was too weak to save him.

"If I would have gotten to him faster then the miasma wouldn't have killed him. Shippo is dead because of me…" she muttered, tears stinging at her eyes once more.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't your fault? If we hadn't taken that break, Shippo could have been saved. It was our fault, not yours. You traveled through the night to find him while we rested. If we had all searched with you that night Shippo could be alive right now but thanks to you, we were able to find him a lot faster."

"You and Hiei got there before everyone else. Hiei tried his best to get to Shippo but I wasn't strong enough to keep Naraku distracted. Shippo's death was my fault…" she said quietly before turning quickly and running off into the forest, away from the house. Youko groaned and was about to chase after her when Hiei appeared at his side and stopped him.

"Leave her be. She needs time to mourne. Obviously she merely locked away her memories of the past instead of moving on from them." the hybrid stated before making his way back to the house. "She'll return when she's ready."

* * *

Kagome continued running aimlessly through the trees. She didn't know where she was going but honestly, she didn't care. Her past had come back with a vengeance and she wasn't prepared to deal with it yet. Not only did Hiei reappear into her life but also Youko, her potential mate from the past. The kitsune had brought back memories of her precious kit and now there was nothing she could do to stop the tears.

_The lights go out all around me  
One last candle to keep out the night  
And then the darkness surrounds me  
I know I'm alive but i feel like I've died  
And all that's left is to accept that it's over  
My dreams ran like sand through the fists that i made  
I try to keep warm but i just grow colder  
I feel like I'm slipping away_

Kagome fell to her knees as her memories hit her like a speeding bus. The final battle flashed through her mind like a movie in slow motion. She watched once again as her innocent little kit was killed and thrown against the tree. If only she were stronger… faster… she could have saved him. She could have killed all of those weak demons and made her way to Naraku in time before the miasma took his life. She was stronger now… but it was too late to save Shippo now.

_After all this has passed, i still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today,  
Someday I'll hope again  
And there'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain_

The little miko clenched her hands into fists as she cried out her sorrows. She pressed her forehead against the ground and allowed the soil to absorb her tears. She barely even noticed as it began to pour rain… as if the sky was mourning along with her. Her mind drifted to all the good times she and Shippo shared during her journey's through feudal Japan.

_My whole world is the pain inside me  
The best i can do is just get through the day  
When life before is only a memory  
I'll wonder why God lets me walk through this place  
And though i can't understand why this happened  
I know that i will when i look back someday  
And see how you've brought beauty from ashes  
And made me as gold purified through these flames_

She reflected on how happy that joyous kit would get when she brought him candy from her time. She remembered how hyper he would get if she gave him too much chocolate… and how tired he would be after he let out all that energy. She recalled how peaceful he slept as she rested beside him and ran her fingers through his soft fur.

_After all this has passed, i still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today,  
Someday I'll hope again  
And there'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain_

The rain continued to pound down over her. She hardly noticed the slight shiver that her body began to make from the cold rainfall but still, she didn't care. Her clothes were completely soaked but she didn't notice, flashbacks of Shippo were flooding her mind. She couldn't get the cute little kit's smile out of her mind and it only served to make her tears pour harder as she felt her heart clench in pain.

_Here i am, at the end of me  
Tryin to hold to what i can't see  
I forgot how to hope  
This night's been so long  
I cling to Your promise  
There will be a dawn  
_

Kagome took a deep breath as she lifted her forehead from the now soaked ground. She wiped away her tear even though it did nothing to dry her face as it continued to rain. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to just lock away her memories of the past in order to continue living. Perhaps she should have dealt with the pain… if she had then maybe the pain wouldn't have been so horribly excruciating at this point.

_After all this has passed, i still will remain  
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain  
Though it won't be today,  
Someday I'll hope again  
And there'll be beauty from pain  
You will bring beauty from my pain  
_

She knew that even if she had gotten over the past before, she still would have cried when she saw Hiei and Youko but that was to be expected. She thought she would never see them again. Kagome took one more deep breath before pushing herself to her feet. Yes she missed Shippo and blamed herself for his death but now Youko and Hiei were here… She wasn't going to ruin their lives by bringing them depression from her pain.

Clearing her mind but being sure not to lock away her past like she had before, Kagome slowly made her way back to the house that she felt her friends in. Now that she wasn't completely engulfed by her sadness, she began to feel the cold shivering that took over her drenched body. Her uniform was tight against her skin and now she wished that she had changed out of the clothes she wore for missions. Not to mention the outfit left not only her legs bare but also her entire midsection.

Just as she entered the clearing, Yusuke opened the door. He noticed her soaked and shaking and rushed back into the house before running out with a towel. He quickly wrapped the towel around her body before draping his arm around her shoulders and leading her inside. Kagome pulled the towel close to her body as she tried to control her shaking. Yusuke pulled her to the bathroom without a word and sat her down in the closed toilet while he started a hot shower.

"What were you doing walking around in the cold rain?! You're gunna get sick!" Yusuke scolded as he rolled his eyes and removed her towel.

"Sorry…" she muttered as she stood up and waited for him to leave so she could shower. "Thank you Yusuke."

* * *

_  
_Yusuke shook his head as he entered the living room to join the others. "So is it just me or is she very quiet?"

"Youko says she never used to be… but the final battle changed her extremely." Kurama murmured.

"What exactly happened that changed her so much?" Kuwabara asked.

"Her kit was killed." Hiei informed.

"And she blames herself for the kit's death huh? Damn… is there anything we can do for her?" Yusuke asked, wanting to comfort the poor miko.

"You can not talk about me behind my back, that's a good start." Kagome piped up, glaring at the four males in the living room. Everyone's attention whipped to the doorway and they stared at the miko still wet and only in a towel.

"I apologize Kagome but Koenma ordered that we keep you here. Yusuke, Hiei and I share this house so we figured it was only fair that he know what's going on." Kurama tried to reason.

"If he was curious about me then all he had to do was ask." Kagome snapped before disappearing up the stairs.

Hiei sighed and followed after the miko silently as Kuwabara and Yusuke turned to Kurama. "So… what does Youko have to say about that?"

~*~*~*~*~

Hiei found Kagome sitting on the counter in the bathroom still only wearing her towel. Her clothes were still wet from the rain and since she didn't have any clothes there, she had nothing else to wear. Making his way to his room, Hiei grabbed one of his shirts before heading to Yusuke's room to get a pair of basketball shorts. Returning to the bathroom, the hybrid was slightly disturbed to find that Kagome hadn't moved an inch and was still staring at the ground blankly.

"Put these on." he said quietly. Kagome slowly lifted her tearful eyes to Hiei's crimson ones. Without a word, she sniffled softly and took the clothes. She pushed herself off the sink and was about to push Hiei out of the bathroom when he sighed and pulled her into a tight hug. She broke down once more and buried her face in his shirt, soaking it with her tears. Kagome just didn't know what to do. She missed Hiei and Youko so much but every time she looked at them, she saw Shippo.

"It hurts so much Hiei…" she sobbed.

"Kagome, do you honestly think Shippo would want to see you like this?"

Kagome froze for a moment as she stared at the fabric of Hiei's shirt with wide eyes. He was right… Shippo would be so angry with her if he saw her like this… he always wanted her to be happy because it made him happy. Kagome looked up at Hiei as she wiped away her tears. "I'm only hurting Shippo more by being like this aren't I?"

Hiei sighed. "You're allowed to mourn his death Kagome but you're letting your sadness darken your purity. Look what it did to you powers."

"I'm… I'm sorry." she sniffled before pushing Hiei out of the bathroom and swiftly shutting the door. Hiei was right. If Shippo were here, he would comfort her until she was happy again. Shippo was happy whenever she was so she was only keeping Shippo from his happiness by remaining sad over his death. Shippo always just wanted her to be happy. Whenever Inuyasha hurt her, he would always get angry at the hanyou.

'I'm not sure if he told you or not but Shippo was overjoyed that Youko and I were considering you as our mate. He was always so worried that you would never find anyone better than the mutt.'

Hiei's voice drifted along her mind and she knew the hybrid was probably listening to her thoughts. The part that surprised her was that Hiei actually admitted his attraction toward her but she wasn't in the mood to think about that at the moment. Now that she thought about it, Shippo was happier whenever Youko or Hiei were around. Kagome took a deep breath and looked toward the ceiling as her last tears slid down her cheeks.

'_Shippo… I'll love you always and you'll forever be in my heart. For you, I'm going to let go… I know that all you wanted was for me to be happy… so I'm going to release my pain. For you Shippo, I'm going to live happy.'_

Kagome released the breath she'd been holding and smiled softly. After a moment, she dropped her towel and pulled on the clothes that Hiei had so kindly supplied her with. The black shirt was obviously his; it smelt strongly of his burning wood scent that she missed so much. She had no idea whose shorts she was wearing but they were very comfortable. Taking one more deep breath, Kagome opened the bathroom door and made her way down to the living room where she sensed everyone else. Smiling as she entered the large room, she plopped down on the couch next to Hiei and Kurama and stole the television remote from Kuwabara.

"Who's up for a movie?" she asked, smiling.

Everyone stared at her as if she'd lost her mind, including Hiei. Kagome rolled her eyes at the odd looks she was receiving from everyone. "I've realized that all Shippo wanted was for me to be happy. So I'm going to honor his wish as best I can by moving on."

Kurama's eyes flashed golden as a charming smile spread across his face. Yusuke shrugged his shoulders in acceptance as Kuwabara grinned. Hiei merely nodded his head in approval before turning an accusing glare down at the miko. "Now will you explain what you were doing at that building with the virus?"

Kagome sighed and nodded. "After the jewel threw me back here, I fell into myself. I locked away all my memories of the past cause I thought it would be easier that way. I ended up applying for a job at a local self defense school and was recruited as a secret agent for the government instead. I've been doing random missions and I eventually became so engrossed in my job that I completely forgot about my past… it was like none of it happened, my memories of the feudal era were just a blur.

"Then I was sent on this last mission. I was caught and now I think it's because those guys were mostly demons. I'm one of the best agents and I almost failed my mission because I forgot that demons existed." Kagome sighed as she shook her head. "Then you guys walked in. I immediately recognized Hiei but doubt filled my mind. I couldn't believe that he was really the hybrid I'd met in the past. From there, you guys pretty much know the rest."

"You were one of the best agents?" Yusuke asked, sounding doubtful.

"I wouldn't judge her just yet Yusuke; she's tougher than she seems." Kurama warned, relaying Youko's message.

Kagome snorted. "Tell Youko that he doesn't even know how much I've improved since he last saw me."

*Really now? Shall we test you're new skills in a locked bedroom?* Youko purred, his eyes raking over Kagome's body through Kurama's vision.

-Please behave, we aren't even sure if she's mentally well just yet- Kurama reasoned. Youko groaned and backed down; swearing that once the miko was back to normal there was no chance of stopping him.

Kagome suddenly laughed softly when she glanced toward Kurama. "Youko being perverted again?" She questioned, surprising Kurama.

-She must know you quite well-

*She _was_ about to be my mate*

"Just ignore him; he's all talk and no action." Kagome laughed at the insulted look that splashed over Kurama's face as his eyes completely changed to gold.

"Excuse me?"

Yusuke's communicator suddenly blared, grabbing everyone's attention. The detective growled in irritation as he flipped it open. "What?!"

"Yusuke! Get everyone; there's a rip in the barrier!" Botan yelled in panic.

Everyone leapt to their feet as a portal appeared in the living room. Kagome pushed herself off the couch as well and was about to follow Kuwabara, who entered first, until Yusuke stopped her.

"Whoa there! Where do you think you're going?!"

"With you guys to help." Kagome said, glaring at the detective as if daring him to command her to stay.

"The miko can take care of herself." Hiei informed as he disappeared through the portal calmly.

Kagome grinned and followed after the hybrid, Yusuke and Kurama at her heels. They were immediately attacked once they exited the portal. Kurama felt the need to remain close to Kagome and he wasn't sure if it was his doubt of her fighting abilities or Youko's curiosity of her new skills that she claimed of. Yusuke also seemed to be keeping a close eye on the miko as she effortlessly purified any demon that approached her. Hiei kept his complete attention on the rip. Demons were pouring out of it nonstop and if they didn't close it soon, some were going to escape into the city.

Kagome wasn't really sure what was going on but all she knew was that these demons weren't on her side. She noticed Hiei's attention toward the large black hole in the air and figured that was the source of their problem since demons were continuing to rush out of it. Creating a barrier around herself, Kagome closed her eyes and enveloped the others in barrier bubbles before pushing her purification throughout the entire clearing. Every demon within a five mile radius was turned to dust and the rip in the barrier disappeared with a 'Poof'.

Grinning to herself, she dropped the barriers. Everyone was once again staring at her in surprise. "What?!"

"You truly have grown stronger." Kurama mused, amazed by her amount of power.

'You're fighting skills have improved as well.' Hiei stated.

Kagome smiled. _'Thank you Hiei, it's partially because of you.'_

Botan suddenly appeared out of a portal with a huge smile on her face… and it was directed toward Kagome. "Would you please come with me?"

Recognizing the reaper from before, Kagome nodded and followed her through the portal, not surprised when the guys trailed behind her. She found herself in the same office as before and searched for that pint sized individual that deemed himself the prince of Reikai.

"Kagome, it's nice to see you in a good mood." Koenma smiled as he leapt onto his desk.

Kagome nodded. "I'm feeling much better now that Hiei and Youko are back in my life. Is there something you needed of me?"

"In fact, yes. I'm aware that you work for the government as an agent. I would like for you to consider working for Reikai instead."

Kagome stared up at the demi god in thought. "But I thought normal humans didn't know about the existence of demons? And the virus that I was assigned to retrieve, I need to bring that to base."

"There is no need; the government would have given it to us anyway. The company you work for gets their assignments from Reikai, only they believe that we are a top secret agency. I would like to transfer you from your department to the spirit detectives. You would be a great addition from what I saw just moments ago." Koenma stated.

"You can just transfer me? No questions asked?" Kagome asked.

"Indeed."

"And I would get all my things and live with the guys?"

"Correct."

"One more question… would I still get to keep my car?"

* * *

Kagome grinned as she closed her truck carefully and moved to the driver's side. Sliding into the seat, she sighed in contentment as she inhaled the peppermint smell of her car. Yusuke and Hiei were in the back seat while Kurama was in shot gun, strapping his seat belt into place quickly. Kagome laughed at the slightly scared expressions on the guy's faces. "What are you all afraid of? I'm a great driver."

"Yea… that's what all women say until they crash and total the car." Yusuke muttered,

"And this is most definitely not a car I recommend totaling." Kurama added.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome questioned as she pressed the clutch and started her Porsche.

"Because it's a _really_ nice car! I would hate to see this beauty get wrecked! Maybe I should drive… do you even know how to drive a stick?" Yusuke asked, doubtful that she was capably of handling the sports car.

Kagome smirked at Yusuke through the rearview mirror before she threw the Porsche into reverse and sped out of the garage.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yusuke leapt out of Kagome's silver piece of heaven with wide eyes. The entire drive to their house, Kagome decided to show them _just_ how great of a driver she was. Yusuke sure as hell wasn't about to doubt her driving skills again… there were several times he thought they were going to crash with how hard she was drifting but she kept her GT2 in complete control. Kagome stepped out of the car with a triumphant smirk on her face as she made her way to the trunk. They had stopped by her house to pick up some of her clothes and now she just needed to unpack.

Kurama helped her carry everything up the stairs before showing her to her new room. It was a pretty nice size and the bathroom was right across the hall. Kurama informed her that if she needed anything, his room was to her right, Hiei's was on the left and Yusuke's was across from hers, next to the bathroom.

*Why did you bother telling her about the others? If she needs anything, she should come to our room.* Youko argued.

-Can you behave for more than ten minutes?! I already had to deal with you throwing visuals of the shifter being something _else_ while Kagome was driving AND your fantasies of taking her in the back seat. Can I please have a break?!- Kurama snapped.

"Kurama? Are you alright?" Kagome asked, stepping toward him.

Kurama focused on the overly attractive female standing before him and took a quick step back. "Sorry, Youko was distracting me."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "If I could help you, I would. Even if I gave that kitsune sex every night, he would still pester you…" Kagome sighed.

*If she's offering… let me out red!*

-No! Stop it Youko- Kurama growled. "It's not your fault Kagome. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. I'll call you down when dinner is ready." Kurama smiled before quickly making his way down the stairs.

Kagome sighed as she closed her door and leaned back against it. She was slightly surprised that her feelings for both Hiei and Youko were still very fresh but what shocked her more was the fact that she felt attracted to Kurama and Yusuke as well. She shook her head as she crawled onto her bed. If these men weren't demons… she'd be a whore. Lucky for her though, they were most definitely demon.

* * *

Kagome woke in the middle of the night scared out of her mind. It was still raining outside but now there was lightning and thunder… and Kagome was terrified of thunder. She pulled her blankets close around her as she sat up in bed. Scooting back to lean against the wall, she held her knees against her chest and stared out her window with wide eyes. Taking a deep breath, Kagome closed her eyes and tried to ignore the flashes of lightning brightening her room.

'_I'm fine… I can do this… I just need to go back to sleep… there's nothing to be scar-'_

Another loud clap of thunder shook the large house and Kagome leapt out of bed frantically. Rushing to her door, she opened it and stepped into the hallway. Her breathing rushing out harshly, she tried to decide what she was going to do. She was surrounded by the rooms of her new housemates and she knew the only way for her to get back to bed was if she was sleeping along side someone else.

Another clap of thunder roared through the halls and Kagome panicked, speeding through the nearest door, which happened to be Yusuke's right across the hall from her room. She dove onto the bed and under the covers, shaking from her fear of thunderstorms. Yusuke woke with a start, confused to see a large shaking bump under his covers. He heard feminine whimpering and lifted the blankets slightly.

"Kagome?"

"I'm sorry Yusuke… but I'm scared of thunder…" she whined, drawing her knees against her chest once more.

"And you came to my room?" he asked in confusion.

"You're room was closest… can I please just sleep here for the night?" she pleaded, staring at him with puppy dog eyes.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and nodded, moving his pillow over so she could use it as well. Kagome smiled her thanks and situated herself on her side, facing away from the detective and bundled the blankets tightly around her. Feeling safer with Yusuke there with her, she was able to fall back asleep, though Yusuke felt her body jump every time thunder would sound.

Kagome woke the next morning feeling better than she could ever remember. She groaned softly at the pleasant feeling of something massaging her butt when her eyes suddenly snapped open. Fully awake now, Kagome stared down at Yusuke who seemed to still be asleep. There was a smug smile plastered on his face and she was lying on top of him. His hands were on her backside squeezing and stroking it. Sighing to herself she sat up, hoping that his hands would move.

Instead, they remained where they were and Yusuke's eyes slowly opened. His gaze drifted up to Kagome as his eyes widened for a moment before he smirked. "You're not really scared of thunder are you? You just wanted to get in bed with me."

Kagome rolled her eyes and removed Yusuke's hands before lifting herself off the detective. "In you're dreams Yusuke." _'And maybe in mine…'_ Kagome added to herself as she left his room and made her way down stairs to the kitchen. She groaned as she tried to clear her mind of the dirty thoughts that filled her mind and whipped open the fridge. Grabbing the carton of milk, she pulled a bowl from one of the cabinets. Filling it with lucky charms and milk, she returned everything to where it should be before digging into her breakfast.

"Are you alright?" The miko looked up from her bowl of cereal to see Kurama smiled toward her as he made his breakfast. She couldn't help but stare at the avatar slightly. He was wearing baggy sweat pants and a muscle tee and his hair was a mess… he looked absolutely sexy with bed hair.

Hiei entered the kitchen and Kagome turned a smile in his direction. She wasn't surprised when he didn't return it and headed straight for the freezer for the ice cream. Yusuke followed behind the hybrid several moments later in the same state of dress as he was in bed; a white shirt and his boxers.

"Have a nice sleep _Kagome_?" Yusuke asked, smirking in her direction.

"It would have been perfect if I hadn't woken up on top of a pervert groping me." Kagome replied, smiling innocently. Hiei and Kurama turned questioning gazes their way and Yusuke merely grinned and shrugged.

"Did something happen last night?" Kurama asked, curious.

"Not really, just found out that Yusuke's just as perverted in his sleep as he is awake." Kagome muttered as she shoved a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

"Why don't you tell them how and why you found out this particular information about me Kagome?" Yusuke questioned with a smirk.

"There was a thunderstorm last night and I'm terrified of thunder so I rushed to Yusuke's room to sleep in his bed with him." Kagome explained truthfully, not noticing the slightly jealous glares from Kurama and Hiei that were directed at Yusuke.

"Now how about you tell them the _real_ reason you were in my bed." Yusuke said.

"That is the real reason."

"Then why did I wake up to you fully awake, straddling me?"

"Like I said before; you're just as perverted in your sleep as you are awake. I woke up on top of you… with your hands in inappropriate places." she muttered the last part before dropping her bowl in the sink and skipping up the stairs to take a shower. Hiei and Kurama continued to glare at Yusuke, who exited the kitchen to watch TV in the living room.

*Is it just me or does it seem that Kagome may end up with more than three mates?* Youko murmured.

'If that is what she wants.' Hiei said, crossing his arms over his chest.

-Well we aren't certain of Yusuke's interest. Keiko only recently broke up with him, so perhaps this is just a fling of his.- Kurama commented.

Youko snorted. *Don't be ridiculous. Any male with a brain would take Kagome if they had the chance and if my little vixen truly does like all of us… well then she's in for some trouble.* the kitsune smirked. *The true question here is _who_ gets her first.*

* * *

Kagome sighed in contentment as she stepped out of her shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Brushing her teeth quickly, she opened the bathroom door and peeked out to be sure the coast was clear. Dashing across the hall to her room, she shut the door and made her way over to her new dresser. Pulling out a pair of shorts and a tight spaghetti strap, she slipped into her clothes before leaving her room. Deciding to explore the large house a little, she walked all the way down the hall and came to another bathroom. There was a window at the end of the hall that showed the side of the house which was where the garage was located.

Turning around, she noticed that Hiei's room was at the end of the other side of the upper floor. Trotting down the stairs, she realized a clear sliding door in the kitchen that she hadn't even seen. Glancing outside at the back yard, she was excited to see a large sized pool and a Jacuzzi along side it. On one side of the pool was a tall mountain looking rock formation that hovered over part of the pool. She guessed the pool was probably really deep so the guys could jump off the rock into the water. She felt the desire to dive in the water but decided against it. The sky was still completely covered in angry black clouds. The storm wasn't over yet… she just hoped it wouldn't thunder again.

"Looks like it might thunder tonight as well." Kurama stated as he accompanied Kagome in the kitchen, staring out the glass door as well.

"I hope not… I'm not jumping in Yusuke's bed again…" she muttered, refusing to allow any naughty thoughts to enter her head at the moment.

"You can share my bed." Kurama offered with a smile.

Kagome laughed. "Why didn't I think of that before? You're the respectful one. Why the hell did I rush into the room with the most perverted male in the house?"

"That's if you don't include Youko." Kurama chuckled.

Kagome nodded. "Good point. Are you sure it's alright?

Kurama nodded. "Of course, as long as you don't throw me off the bed in the middle of the night."

~*~*~*~*~

*Red, I'm proud of you.* Youko grinned.

-May I ask why?- the red head questioned as he removed his shirt. It poured rain all day and Koenma hadn't called them in for a mission so everyone had stayed inside. Kagome was changing into her pajamas while Kurama was getting ready for bed.

*You're making your move aren't you? I must be rubbing off on you.* the kitsune stated proudly.

-Actually I offered for her to spend the night in our room because she didn't seem to enjoy waking up with Yusuke.- Kurama explained, although he was also quite excited to have the miko sleeping next to him. He'd only known her for a few days and already he was practically head over heels for her.

*She seems to have that effect on the male species.* Youko murmured.

-What do you mean?-

*I fell for her several days after she rescued me and Hiei, if I judged correctly, was wrapped around her finger the second day he met her.* Youko explained.

-But that would have been when Hiei kidnapped her.-

*Correct. He was injured by Naraku and Kagome protected him even though he'd kidnapped her. She was the first female to care for Hiei.*

There was a soft knock on his door and Kurama was pulled from his conversation with Youko. Opening the door, he smiled down at Kagome. Youko was completely silent as the miko stood at the door until she stepped inside.

*Shut the door and lock it…* Youko purred.

-Behave. We are only here to comfort her through the storm.- Kurama rolled his eyes at his sex crazed counterpart.

"Kurama, are you sure it's alright?" Kagome asked, feeling a little bad for making him share his bed. The avatar sighed as he stepped toward the miko and nodded.

"Yes Kagome, calm down." he chuckled. The first clap of thunder rumbled through the house and Kagome whined and flung herself at Kurama, burying her face in his bare chest.

*Oh… this is going to be interesting.* Youko smirked.

Kurama ignored the kitsune in his head and lifted the terrified miko into his arms. Placing her down on one side of the bed, he gracefully sat beside her on his side. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked, a little worried about the slight shaking of her body.

"Yea, I'll be fine…" she murmured as she quickly stood from the bed and turned off the bedroom light before rushing back and crawling under the covers. Kurama held back his laughter as the miko turned on her side, facing away from him. Growing a little gutsy, Kurama rolled onto his side and draped an arm over Kagome's waist. Her stiff body relaxed under his touch. She smiled and rested her hand over his and closed her eyes. Kagome's mind drifted to the difference and similarities of Youko and Kurama. They shared a body but they were very different.

Youko almost always had sex on his mind. He was always trying to get her closer to him physically; though she had to admit she didn't protest. Kurama was gently and sweet. Unlike Youko, she bet Kurama could behave himself the entire night. Yawning, Kagome found she felt very safe in the avatar's arms and she wasn't sure if it was because Youko shared a body with him or because she just felt she could trust the red head with her life.

~*~*~*~*~

Kagome woke the next morning feeling safe and warm. She could feel a warm muscular body pressed against her back and an arm around her waist holding her tightly. She was so comfortable she didn't want to move. Opening her eyes with a groan, she glanced behind her to see Kurama yawning.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Hmm, go back to sleep." she murmured as she snuggled back against him.

Kurama smiled as he buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Seconds later, the bedroom door slammed open. Kagome growled in irritation as she looked toward the door to see Yusuke and Kuwabara staring at them with their mouths hanging open.

"That's not fair! You didn't cuddle with me!" Yusuke whined.

"Because I didn't wake up to find Kurama's hands on my ass this morning." Kagome snapped, sitting up and glaring at the detectives. "Now is there a particular reason you came barging in or should I beat the living shit out of you now?"

Youko grew excited from the fierce attitude Kagome seemed to be in. She's probably be great in bed in the early morning… rough and stubborn. Kurama groaned as he tried his best to ignore Youko and rested a hand on Kagome's shoulder to calm her.

"Koenma called, we have a mission in Makai." Kuwabara said.

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she lifted herself out of bed and stormed off to her room to change. Kurama calmly made his way to his closet to change as well. When he returned to his room, Yusuke was still standing in his doorway, glaring at his accusingly.

"What's going on here." he demanded.

"What are you referring to?"

"Kagome."

"Ah… well to sum it up, you, Hiei, Youko and I all seem to like Kagome." Kurama explained.

"Hiei too?! Holy shit I woulda never guess." Yusuke mused.

"Yes well we intend on taking Kagome as our mate, as does Hiei."

"Crap… and I was thinking of that last night too…" Yusuke admitted. "Guess you guys beat me."

"This is not our decision, it's Kagome's." Hiei stated as he entered the room as well.

"And it is common for demons to have more than one mate. Youko says that Kagome is aware of that." Kurama said.

"But Kagome's not a demon… right?"

"No, she isn't, but all of us are." Hiei clarified.

"So wait, are we talking about sharing her?" Yusuke questioned.

"If that's what she wants, then yes." Kurama nodded.

"And if that is what she wants?"

"Then she decides who she mates with first." Hiei answered.

*But I already have a claim on her!*

"The claim does not matter fox." Hiei glared at Kurama.

"Though it may assist me." Kurama pointed out. Kagome already agreed to accept Youko's claim… so that practically meant she accepted Kurama's claim since Youko and him were sharing the same body now.

"Whoa, wait! Kurama's got a claim on her already?! Shit, he's like a complete step ahead of us!" Yusuke complained.

"Youko placed the claim on her 500 years ago, it may still be there but that does not mean the fox gets her first." Hiei snarled.

*Since when did you become so possessive of anyone besides Yukina?* Youko mocked the hybrid. Hiei merely threw a threatening glare his way.

"I sure hope all of you have exceptional self control because now that I know _all _of you are after me, you're going to have to work to get what you want." Kagome smiled innocently from the doorway. The three males froze where they stood and turned to stare at the miko they had been discussing. She was wearing a pair of black pants that reached her calves. There were baggy and had bows at the hem to tighten the bottoms. Her tight black shirt only covered her breasts and the material reached a little further down her torso but left her entire midsection bare. She left her hair down and she had a strap around her waist that probably carried her guns.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the boys that continued to stare at her. "We have a mission guys, try to keep it in your pants." She winked as she left the room and ran to the garage. Everyone, including Botan, waited for Kagome in front of the house. They spotted her exiting the garage and were confused to see that she had weapons. She had two M9 semi automatic handguns in her hands, which she was placing in the gun carriers located on the back of her belt. There were two M60 machine guns in the two gun carriers located at her hips.

"Where the hell did she get the guns?" Yusuke questioned.

"Not sure, wasn't her car empty?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yea, maybe they were in her trunk." Yusuke suggested.

"That was empty as well; I put all her bags in the trunk." Kurama stated.

"Then where the hell did she get them from? We don't have guns, specially not in the damn garage!" Yusuke yelled in frustration as Kagome looked up at them and smiled.

"You guys ready to go?"

"Kagome, may I ask why you're bringing guns? They don't harm demons like they do human." Botan questioned.

"I can fuse purification into my bullets as I fire. Guns are easier to carry than the bow and arrows I used to haul around; not to mention I can carry more ammo for guns than arrows." she explained.

"Fair enough, let's be on our way then." the reaper grinned and stepped through the portal. Everyone followed after her silently and took a good look at their surroundings once they entered Makai. Kagome felt her miko powers flare to life from the overwhelming amount of demon ki that hit her. She felt short of breath for a moment before she grew used to the feeling and turned her attention to Botan.

"So our mission?"

"Several humans were kidnapped and dragged through the barrier to a location near here. The humans seem to only be women of young ages and they are beginning to disappear in larger groups as the days go on. Koenma wasn't sure if this would be a problem until we counted up a total of 26 women missing as of today."

"It took the toddler this long to realize this was a problem? For all we know these chicks could be dead." Yusuke snorted.

"Yes but even if they are you still need to find the demons that are taking these humans and rid of them. If not then these kidnaps will only continue." Botan explained.

"Yea yea ok, go back to the office. We'll call you when the bastards are dead." Yusuke grumbled.

Botan grinned and bid them luck before disappearing. Kagome remained silent as she scanned her surroundings. She had the feeling she was being watched and it was creeping her out. She couldn't figure out where she felt the feeling coming from and it was making her paranoid. Not sure where to start looking, Yusuke led the way to where they felt the largest amount of demonic ki within the area. Hiei and Kurama traveled with Kagome between them while Kuwabara walked beside Yusuke. It wasn't long before they stumbled across a market.

As they passed through, Yusuke asked random demons if they had seen any humans around lately. Kagome felt very uncomfortable as she noticed every single demon would look her way as they passed. Stopping to question a bartender, Kagome rested a hand on each of her machine guns. She sensed a group of demons closing in on them at a suspicious pace and she wasn't sure if anyone besides her had noticed yet. Suddenly, something wet and sticky wrapped around both Kagome's wrists and yanked her away from the Spirit Detectives.

She nearly gagged when she realized that the restrains around her wrists were slimy tongues of two toad demons. Before she had the chance to bring forth her purification, she was knocked unconscious, hearing the guys yell out her name just before she blacked out.

* * *

A/N:

Hope everyone enjoyed Chapter Eight! If anyone's wondering where Kagome got her guns, remember that her back seat flips over and the ceiling of her car slides back to reveal her hidden weapons? Well that's where she got her guns and that's why the SD's don't understand where she got them from, cause they don't know about her secret stash just yet. Hope you're all enjoying winter! I know I am ^_^ R&R!

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter 8: Raging Inferno


	8. Raging Inferno

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 8: Raging Inferno

"DAMNIT!" Yusuke snarled as he pounded his fist into the nearest tree. They had been ambushed while they were in the market and Kagome was kidnapped… probably by the exact demons they were hunting down. They should have known that the bastards would target Kagome! She's a human female, which is exactly what they've been kidnapping all this time! How stupid could they be?

*She's fine, there's no need to worry.* Youko reassured.

-Youko, Kagome was just kidnapped! You have no way of knowing if she's alright or not!-

'The fox is right; that stubborn onna's been kidnapped so many times we've lost count.' Hiei stated, thinking back on the multiple times she was kidnapped not only by him but also by Kouga and other random demons.

Kurama sighed and brushed a hand through his hair in frustration. No matter what they said, it wouldn't be enough to comfort his concern until he saw the miko, alive and well, with his own two eyes. Trying to pick up her scent once more, he slowly followed to where it led. Whoever was behind these kidnappings were quite intelligent. They covered their tracks well so no one could trail them and each time they lost Kagome's scent, everyone grew more concerned and frustrated.

"I thought she was a good fighter!" Yusuke randomly yelled, glaring into the distance.

"She is." Hiei said, more concentrated on attempting to locate the miko's mind through his jagan.

"Then why'd she get kidnapped so easily?!" the detective snapped, angry because he was so worried about the miko.

"It's not like she let them take her Urameshi." Kuwabara commented, trying to defend the miko that wasn't there to stand up for herself.

Everyone grew silent for a moment as they saw Hiei and Kurama's eyes widen. Yusuke stared at them in question. "What?"

Kurama shook his head, denying Youko's accusation. "No, she wouldn't." he murmured.

"Yes… she would." Hiei growled, glaring ahead of them.

"Who would do what?!"

"Youko and Hiei believe that Kagome allowed herself to be kidnapped so she could find the location the demons were taking the human women." Kurama explained doubtfully. "But Kagome couldn't possibly be that reckless… could she?"

Yusuke threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Damnit of course she would! Why didn't I think of that before? No wonder she went down so easy without much of a fight."

"Yes but my only concern is that she insists on completing this mission on her own." Hiei stated, trying far more frantically to locate the miko's mind with his third eye.

"How could she possibly finish this mission on her own? These demons seem to be quite powerful, she could get herself killed." Kurama realized, his worry only growing more.

*Calm down, the vixen can handle herself until we get to her. She somehow has a talent for stalling her impending death.*

~*~*~*~*~

Kagome woke with a terrible headache and aching muscles. Remembering that she had been knocked out and kidnapped, Kagome flung into a sitting position and took a quick look at her surroundings. She smirked as she realized that her plan had worked. She was in a barred cell with several other women that seemed to be terrified out of their minds. Her intention was to seem as a threat but once they had her, to act as if she was powerless so she could get into the building these demons were keeping the human women they were kidnapping. Once she realized that a group of demons were stalking them, their eyes mainly on her, Kagome knew they were the demons they were looking for.

Shaking her head slightly to rid of her headache, Kagome slowly stood and turned to the other human women whimpering in the opposite corner of the cell. "Do any of you know where we are?"

The women shook their heads, fear evident in their eyes. "All any of us can remember is waking up in this cell. There are scary men that bring more unconscious women, like yourself, everyday." a blonde woman explained, moving to step forward.

"I see. Have these men done anything to you?" Kagome questioned as she traced every inch of the prison they were stuck in.

"Every night, they take one of us… and later we hear her screams… we aren't sure of what they're doing but we just want to return home." the woman stated, tears filling her hazel eyes.

Kagome turned a reassuring smile to the group. "Don't worry; I'm going to get us out of here."

A woman with dark red hair snorted. "There have been women like you before; they all disappeared as well."

Kagome ignored the rude woman and continued her inspection of the cell. She quickly found there was no way of escaping without making too much noise to escape easily. She noticed that all of her weapons were missing when she woke but shook her head when she spotted them on a desk near the door of the basement they seemed to be locked in. How stupid could these demons be? If she had weapons in the first place, then it obviously meant that she was a force to be reckoned with. But their underestimation of her worked to her advantage. All she had to do was escape the cage and reach her guns.

After several moments of brain storming, she decided it wouldn't be possible to get all the women and herself out alive by herself. Closing her eyes, Kagome concentrated on locating Hiei's aura.

"Thought she said she was going to save us." the red head muttered coldly.

Kagome continued to ignore the obnoxious woman as she searched. _'Hiei… can you hear me?'_

~*~*~*~*~

Hiei jumped slightly when he heard Kagome's voice. 'Kagome?'

'_Hiei! Jeez what took you so long?!' _she complained.

"Guys, I think Hiei found her…" Kuwabara piped up when he realized the hybrid stopped walking.

'Where are you onna.' Hiei growled, still irritated the miko allowed herself to be taken.

'_I'm not sure, I was hoping you could find me if we could communicate.'_

'It's possible but you must remain conscious. So nothing reckless or stupid, understand onna?' Hiei demanded.

'_Ok ok but if you guys take too long I'm doing this on my own. These demons are taking a girl every night and it's almost dark.'_

Hiei sighed and turned his attention to his companions briefly. "The jagan can locate Kagome but we must hurry, the demons will take another victim tonight and if we do not arrive by then, Kagome will take things into her own hands."

~*~*~*~*~

Kagome sighed as she opened her eyes to see the group of women staring at her doubtfully. "Help is on the way." she grinned. The women, aside from the brave blonde one, shook their heads and muttered about how insane Kagome seemed to be. They figured the girl was out of her mind, therefore there was no hope of escaping. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and made her way over to the only window in the cell. It was very small and covered with bars but she could still see through it. From the looks of it, there was only about an hour left until sundown.

All she could do was hope that they would get there before the demons came down to take another of these poor women away for who the hell knows what. Kagome hadn't the slightest idea of what these demons wanted with human females but she was sure she didn't want to find out. Glancing over toward her guns once more, she spread her aura briefly to locate the nearest demons. There were two guarding the door and could probably get to her weapons a few seconds slower than she could if she made enough noise to attract their attention.

It was dark now and the Spirit Detectives had yet to arrive. Kagome was currently plotting her plan of escaping the barred cell that held her captive when the door to the basement opened to reveal the same two reptile demons that had kidnapped her. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the remembrance of the vile feeling of their slimy tongues around her wrists. They glared at the prisoners as they opened the cell door. Kagome glared right back at them and stood in front of the cowering and whimpering females as the demons approached her.

One stopped before her and glared down at her menacingly while the other made to reach around the miko and grab the sweet blonde girl that showed Kagome some respect. Moving with speed that surprised the hell out of not only the girls but also the demons, Kagome grabbed the toad that was reaching for the blonde and threw him into the bars before swiftly punching the other demon in the stomach, sending him flying as well.

The two guards that were at the door rushed inside to restrain Kagome and she immediately held back her urge to purify them. If they didn't know she was a miko then she could use that as an element of surprise to escape with her life. She pretended to struggle against the guards as both lizards stood. They turned deadly growls to her as they approached before one slapped Kagome across the face. She ground her teeth together hard as she turned an angry glare up at the demon that dared to strike her.

He was going to be the first to die… there was no doubt about that.

The guards lifted her to her feet and the lizards grabbed her arms firmly before dragging her out of the basement and away from the other women who were crying now. Kagome made sure to pay close attention to where the lizards were taking her so she could quickly make her way back to where they were keeping their hostages. The miko's eyes narrowed when they stopped in front of a large oak door. There was a moment of silence before one lizard opened the door and threw her inside roughly and shut the door.

Kagome glared at the door as she lifted herself off the ground and dusted herself off. Sensing a demon in the room with her, she turned sharply to see quite a handsome demon standing several feet away from her. He had long black hair and a pair of golden colored cat ears atop his head. Behind him there was a long golden brown lion tail that swished back and forth playfully as he stared at her curiously through purple eyes.

"You are different from the other human females…" he purred, taking a daring step closer to the miko.

"Who are you and what do you want." Kagome demanded, glaring coldly at the demon as she made sure she kept a decent amount of space between them.

"I am merely looking for some fun… and food." he smirked, his fangs poking through his lips.

Kagome snorted as she took another step back. "So you're kidnapping all us women to mess with before eating? Why only women?"

"Females tend to scream louder…" he purred, watching her with hungry eyes.

Kagome glanced around for anything she could use to her advantage but found nothing. Sighing, she dropped into a defensive position and waited for the lion demon to pounce. He chuckled at her attempt to protect herself.

"There's no escape, and you cannot defeat me." he smirked before leaping toward her. Kagome quickly dove into a forward tumble under the lion's pounce and sprang to her feet. Turning, she delivered a sharp kick to the demon's kidney before backing away. She didn't want all the other demons to come charging in while she was trying to take care of this brute. They would just make things more complicated and seeing as the SD's hadn't arrived yet, she didn't feel like taking the chance.

~*~*~*~*~

Hiei unsheathed his sword so quickly, the guard wasn't even aware of the potential danger before he was in pieces on the ground. Yusuke and Kuwabara pushed past the door and rushed the demons that stood in their way. Kurama stepped past them and followed his nose to a set of stairs. Smelling Kagome's scent the strongest up the stairs, he guessed the miko was no longer in the dungeon with the other humans he smelt. Once the others caught up with him, he ordered for Yusuke and Kuwabara to rescue the females downstairs while he and Hiei searched for Kagome.

Yusuke grumbled as he stomped down the stairs, complaining that _he_ wanted to save Kagome. Kurama rolled his eyes and hurried up the stairs with Hiei only for them to stop in their tracks at the scene before them. Just as they reached the top of the stairs, they spotted Kagome dusting her hands off as she walked out of a room. Two guards were beaten to a pulp and unconscious against the double doors as she walked past them shaking her head. ''How pathetic…'' she muttered as she made her way to the stairs. She looked up from dusting herself off to see the two amused demons waiting for her.

"Oh hey guys, jeez it took you long enough." she grumbled as she walked past them and made her way down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she was happy to see the group of women standing near the front door, waiting to be taking back home. Kagome smiled as the blonde woman stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you… thank you so much." she sobbed.

Kagome smiled and returned the hug before she heard angry footsteps storming toward her. Turning, she smiled sheepishly at the three males glaring at her intently. "I don't know why you're all so angry… I'm perfectly fine and could have finished this mission on my own. These demons were weak."

"I knew you were reckless onna but now I'm convinced that you are idiotic as well." Hiei growled.

"You could have been killed! Do you even know _how_ many demons were crawling through this place?!" Yusuke snapped.

"I couldn't get an accurate number but I could have handled it." Kagome reassured.

"Those two demons that were guarding the door were bragging after you left… they were saying that even if you did escape their leader you wouldn't escape them because they can absorb miko energy." The red headed woman piped up. Kagome turned a deadly glare back toward the woman that she desperately wanted to leave here. She was only making this situation of hers worst.

"How exactly did you plan on defeating those demons?" Hiei growled, glaring down at her expectantly.

"Guys, leave her alone. She's alive right? That's all that matters. We got here in time." Kuwabara spoke up, trying to help the poor miko escape her verbal beating. Kagome turned a thankful smile toward him before turning to the group of women. Koenma would have to erase their memories of what occurred here. She could hear Yusuke calling Botan behind her just as she remembered she was forgetting her weapons. Making her way back toward the stairs, she was about to go searching for them when Kurama appeared from the basement with her belt full of weapons in hand.

"Thank you Rama" She smiled as he handed it to her.

"Don't let their bad attitudes fool you; they were just worried about you… we all were." Kurama said, smiling slightly.

Kagome strapped her belt back in place before wrapping her arms around the avatar. "I'm sorry I worried you… but I'm perfectly fine and capable of taking care of myself. I'm not made of glass you know." she murmured, hugging him tightly.

Kurama nodded before pulling away. "Could you at least warn Kurama, so he doesn't have a heart attack next time?"

Kagome gazed up into his green eyes and nodded when she saw them flash golden for a moment before returning to green. "So was Youko the only one not worried about me?"

"He repeatedly assured us that you would be perfectly fine by the time we arrived."

"My kitsune knows me a little too well." she laughed.

*Mentally perhaps, but not physically…* Youko purred.

"Can we get going please?!" Yusuke complained.

Kagome turned to see a portal waiting for them and she nodded. Grabbing Kurama's hand, she led him through the portal where they would have to wait for Koenma to erase the human's memories before they would be ordered to return each of them home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome sighed in contentment when she walked through the front door of her new home. Without bothering to acknowledge the others, she quickly escaped to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Hearing a chuckle, Kagome rolled over to see Kurama standing in her doorway.

"Don't you want to change into something more comfortable?"

"Too tired… want to do it for me?" she smirked into her blanket.

Kurama blushed and stood frozen in his spot for a moment unsure of how to react.

*She just invited you to take her clothes off for her! GET MOVING!!* Youko snarled.

Kurama shook his head and cleared his throat. "Only if you accompany me in my bed again tonight."

Kagome rolled over and lifted an eyebrow in his direction as she considered his terms. She had been joking about him changing her clothes for her but she had really enjoyed sleeping next to him the other night and wouldn't mind cuddling with the red head once more. "How about I change myself and you can join me in _my_ bed."

Kurama shrugged. "Works for me." he smirked and disappeared into his room to change. Youko was praising him the entire time, glad that Kurama was man enough to get in bed with Kagome for two nights in a row. He stripped down to his boxers and returned to Kagome's room to see the lights turned off and her already laying in bed. Yusuke and Hiei seemed to have already gone to bed, so Kurama quietly made his way to the miko's bed and crawled under the covers.

Pulling the blanket down over him, he rolled to his side and draped an arm over her slim waist. Pulling her close against his chest, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her wonderful scent slowly. He briefly realized that her legs were bare and had the sudden urge to trace his fingers over her smooth skin. Holding the desire back, he settled for holding her close and cuddling with the beautiful miko as she brushed her fingers through his hair gently. Soon, both of them were fast asleep.

* * *

Kagome woke up the next morning in heaven. Her breasts were being massaged and someone was nibbling on her ear slowly. Her back arched further into the hand that was kneading her breasts when she heard a soft chuckle. Turning over, she wasn't surprised to see Youko smirking down at her.

"What is the fox doing out of his cage?" She murmured as she rolled onto her back and tried to remove his hands.

"He's out to play with his vixen…" he purred as he grasped her hands and pinned them above her head. Holding them with one hand, he slowly leaned down and trailed his tongue along her ear. She shuttered beneath him as he moved to lay on top of her, pinning her in place with his body.

"What happened to Kurama?" She muttered, trying to think clearly and escape his hold.

"Sleeping…" he murmured before pressing his lips against hers firmly. Kagome groaned into his kiss as he ground his hips down against hers. Kagome could feel the heat in her stomach quickly growing and the fact that she was restrained only turned her on more. Youko's other hand trailed down to her breasts once more and continued his torture as his tail wrapped around her thigh. The tip of his silky soft tail brushed against the skin of her inner thigh, slowly trailing further up.

Youko broke the kiss and relocated to her neck as he nibbled on the soft skin of her neck. "You're mine, love." he purred as Kurama began to wake.

Kagome felt the affects of Youko's seduction powers slowly washing over her and she smirked. He actually thought he could have her that easily? Oh how wrong he was… she wasn't finished teasing them yet. Pushing the lustful fog away so she could clear her mind, Kagome sparked Youko with a very small amount of purification, but enough to make him jump. While he was getting over his shock, she quickly turned the tables. Within six seconds, Youko found himself on _his_ back with Kagome straddling his hips. His hands were pinned above his head and she was smirking down at him. Now that Kurama was fully awake, he was surprised out of his mind as well as he watched Kagome through Youko's eyes.

"Didn't I tell you not to use your seduction on me before? You don't need to use it if the female is willing you know."

Youko felt himself harden as she admitted that she wanted him. Not to mention she was sitting directly on top of his member. He could smell her arousal and it was driving him crazy. "I can't help myself sometimes, especially when I'm around you." he purred.

"Hmm well I'm not finished with my fun just yet," she smirked as she ground her hips against his hard member as she leaned down and brushed her lips against his ear. "You haven't convinced me why _you_ should have me first." she whispered in his ear. He was about to take control once more and tease her until she screamed his name when she suddenly disappeared. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he pouted slightly as he heard her walking down the stairs. Sighing to himself, Youko allowed Kurama control once more before the avatar quickly escaped for a cold shower.

Kagome yawned as she made her way to the kitchen. After all that activity, she was quite hungry. Stepping into the kitchen, she smiled toward Hiei and Yusuke who were already eating their breakfast. "Morning."

"Hn."

"Mornin."

They muttered, slightly jealous that Youko got some early morning action. Hiei glanced up at her as she opened the fridge and sat frozen where he was at the sight he saw. Realizing Hiei stopped eating his sugary Lucky Charms, Yusuke glanced up at him to see him staring wide eyed across the kitchen. Following his gaze, Yusuke was soon in a similar state at the sight before them. Kagome was either unaware or completely aware of her current state of dress. She was wearing a long tank top that barely covered her backside while standing but when she bent over to gather an apple and the milk, the shirt rode up to reveal her sexy black lace panties.

The smell of her lingering arousal hadn't really affected them before but now it was hitting them like a slap in the face. Unfortunately, Kurama decided that particular moment to step into the kitchen. His eyes widened when he spotted Kagome and he hurried out of the room, rushing back for another ice cold shower. Straightening up, Kagome placed her fruits and milk on the counter before grabbing the cream of wheat and a pot. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to see Yusuke and Hiei staring at her intently.

"Can I help you?"

Yusuke smirked and was about to say something until Hiei growled at him threateningly. Turning his crimson eyes back to the confused miko, he glared at her. "Must you prance around half dressed?"

Kagome's face turned beet red as she remembered what she was wearing. Pulling her shirt down further, she rushed up the stairs. Already removing her shirt before she even reached her room, she squealed in surprise when she suddenly barreled into something. Staring down with wide eyes, she yelped.

"Why are you wet!!"

"Why are you naked!!" Kurama yelled as he realized that Kagome was only dressed in a bra and panties. The miko scrambled off him and darted into her room so quick that Youko didn't even have the change to celebrate the fact that their vixen had been practically naked on top of them. Sighing, Kurama pushed to his feet and dragged himself down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Yusuke questioned.

"Kagome ran into me as I was getting out of the bathroom after my shower." he muttered as he placed a slice of bread in the toaster.

"And?" Hiei asked, taking note of the heat that still remained on the avatar's cheeks.

"For some reason she was only dressed in her bra and panties…"

"What?! Dude that's not even fair! You sleep with her for _two_ nights AND get to see her naked?!" Yusuke snapped.

"She wasn't naked-"

"Close enough." Hiei cut him off, glaring at their comrade. "And there was no thunderstorm last night."

"She offered for me to sleep in her bed! I wasn't about to decline." Kurama defended himself.

"Whatever man." Yusuke grumbled.

"You're just jealous that she requested for me to sleep with her and not you." Kurama smirked, his eyes no longer green.

"Shut up fox, before I force you to." Hiei snarled.

"This better remain as only verbal fighting because if it escalates to anything further, I'm going to be sleeping _alone_ tonight." Kagome threatened as she passed the kitchen. The boys were silent until they heard the front door close.

"Does anyone know where she's going?" Yusuke asked, glancing out the window to check if she was headed to the back yard.

"Haven't the slightest clue, should someone follow her to be sure she's alright? There are several demons in the surrounding forests." Kurama stated.

"Not to mention that damn forest Genkai puts her students through. Kagome could get seriously injured if she happens to run through there." Yusuke piped up.

Youko groaned *Better follow her. She _does_ have a tendency to always find trouble.*

Hiei shook his head. "Leave her be. If she does not return by sundown, we'll track her down."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome jogged through the trees at a steady pace. She could practically taste the high amounts of testosterone in the house and she just wanted to escape for a few hours. She was hoping the guys would get a little creative and try to make their moves on her but the most action she seemed to be getting was from them while they're sleeping. She definitely enjoyed sleeping with Kurama because of how closely he would hold her throughout the night. Yusuke was alright to sleep with, alright he snored sometimes and she wasn't sure about Hiei just yet.

Speaking of Hiei, the hybrid hadn't shown any sign of his interest in her. She was beginning to doubt that he actually did like her as much as the other three. She couldn't figure out what it was but Hiei was different than he was in the past. Before he had been a bit more care free but now he was very cautious. She noticed the bandage on his arm and was quite curious of what it was. She could feel a large amount of ki encased within the bindings but she wasn't sure what Hiei was hiding. She had the feeling that after all those years apart, he closed himself up once more and Kagome was determined to return him to how he was with her in the feudal era.

Unlike Hiei, Youko seemed to be the exact same. Even though he was nearly killed and now shared a body with a human, he was still as carefree as ever. He was still the same perverted, sexy, troublemaking kitsune that she loved. The funny thing was that Kurama seemed to be almost the complete opposite of Youko. He was sweet, gentle, patient, and very respectful. Youko on the other hand was obnoxious, perverted, and childish at times. She was definitely going to enjoy both of the men that shared that body.

Now Yusuke was a completely different story on a whole nether level. He had several similarities with the other three but multiple differences as well. He was definitely perverted, loud, and impatient but he also seemed to be a worrywart. He lost his temper easily and from what she's gathered as of now, doesn't think before leaping into battle. He almost reminded her of Inuyasha except Yusuke didn't insult her like the hanyou did. Instead of making her feel like dirt, the detective made her feel sexy and useful and she liked it.

Kagome's thoughts were put on hold when she suddenly felt a group of weak demons ahead. Stopping at a large beautiful tree at the top of the hill she had just climbed, she caught her breath for a moment before making her way to the more dense part of the forest that was a few miles ahead. It didn't take her long to reach the forest but once she was lost in the thick trees, she couldn't even see the sun anymore. Shrugging her shoulders and continuing on, she followed her senses straight toward the group of demons.

Soon she found herself in the middle of a small clearing. Glancing up, she sadly realized she couldn't see the sky because of the tree canopies that reached over and covered her view. She could feel the demons surrounding her so she remained where she was and crossed her arms over her chest in boredom. Feeling a little playful, Kagome decided to play the weak confused human as she heard a squeaky annoying laugh.

"What do we have here? A little lost human?"

Kagome spun around to see a weird looking bat demon hanging from a nearby tree. There were dozens of other bats in the surrounding trees but the one that spoke was definitely larger than the others. She made sure her aura was concealed as she placed a hand on her chest and took a step back.

"Who are you… what do you want?"

"We're just a few bat demons looking for a snack." He smirked before darting at her at a surprising speed. Kagome knew he was merely going to play with her for a bit before killing her when he flew by her and only cut her arm. Although she had been quite surprised by his speed, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Hiei moved four times faster than this weakling. If she could keep up with Hiei, then she wouldn't have any problems with taking this demon down.

The bat landed on a branch and licked the blood from his claws before turning a smirk to Kagome once more. "Her blood taste exquisite…" he murmured before diving toward her once more. Kagome rolled her eyes as she watched him approach. Timing herself perfectly, she leapt into a back handspring seconds before he was about to strike her again. The bat landed and stared at her for a moment.

"A fighter? Must be a potential student of Genkai. No… can't be, you came from the opposite direction, not to mention your female." the bat contemplated to himself aloud.

"Excuse me? Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean that I'm incapable of kicking your ass." Kagome threatened, glaring coldly at the demon.

He snorted. "Other than Genkai, we've never come across a female that can defeat me. You haven't got a chance."

Now irritated with the bat and wanting to throw him around a little bit, she motioned for him to give her the best he had. Not able to back down from the challenge, he darted at her at his top speed and was surprised out of his mind when the little human dodged him effortlessly, grabbed his wrist and threw him into the ground. Before the bat could blink, Kagome had her foot pressed against his throat and she was shaking her head down at him.

"You demons have a terrible tendency of underestimating humans."

"I'm impressed; the only other human that has beaten me is Urameshi."

Kagome stared down at the demon in question. "Yusuke? What was he doing through here?"

"Competing to become a student of Genkai." he answered.

Kagome released the bat and stepped back, allowing him to stand. "You've mentioned this Genkai person before, tell me what you know about her and I will leave you in peace."

"She's the psychic that lives in the temple directly south of this location. She is a skilled fighter and very powerful. I've heard that she taught Urameshi everything he knows."

Kagome nodded in thanks before heading straight toward Genkai's temple. If she taught Yusuke how to fight, then perhaps she could teach her a few things. It took her about an hour before she arrived at the bottom of dozens of stairs. She could feel a powerful amount of ki at the top of the steps and only grew more curious. Slowly climbing the steps, she gradually began to feel the aura of a demon. Keeping her aura concealed, she cautiously climbed the last of the steps until she was standing at the top staring at the temple.

There was a female demon with icy blue hair sweeping outside and hadn't seemed to notice her yet but once she did, she smiled sweetly and made her way over.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" she asked politely.

"Actually yes… does someone by the name of Genkai live here?"

"Yes, is there something you need of her?"

"A bat demon I ran into was telling me about her… I was wondering if she could train me if at all possible."

The girl was silent for a moment but before she could answer Kagome, a small old woman exited from the building to the left of the temple. "I am not taking anymore students in." she stated without bothering to glance in Kagome's direction.

"Miss Genkai, if you would just give me a momen-"

"I highly doubt you have the strength, not to mention the stamina to keep up with my training. I'm not going to waste my time with a school girl like you only to have you running home crying after a mere hour." Genkai interrupted her, still making her way toward the main temple doors.

Kagome sighed and removed her concealment and pushed her ki almost to its peak. The amount of power that laced through Kagome's aura was more than enough to stop Genkai in her tracks. The old woman turned toward her and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you."

"Kagome Higurashi." she smiled.

"Return tomorrow. You training begins at noon." she stated before disappearing through the door. Kagome grinned happily as she bowed toward the blue haired demon.

"So do you live here with Genkai?" Kagome questioned, now sure that this demon wasn't a threat toward her.

"Yes, I'm Yukina, it's nice to meet you." she smiled.

"And you're a… koorime? Interesting." Kagome complimented.

"Thank you, You have quite a large amount of power. You're kind is rare and your lucky Genkai has agreed to train you; she's a great teacher."

Kagome laughed. "I'm rare alright… I'm a miko."

Yukina instinctively took a step away from Kagome. "Wow… I thought you were all extinct…"

"Please don't fear me, I don't purify every demon I see; only the ones that threaten to kill me." Kagome smiled.

Yukina calmed slightly and smiled. "I apologize for my actions; I did not mean to offend you."

"It's alright. I better head home, it was nice meeting you." Kagome smiled as she turned toward the steps.

"See you tomorrow Miss Kagome." Yukina smiled and waved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was dark by the time Kagome entered the clearing that her new home sat in and all the lights were on in the house. Her jog back provided her with quite a bit of energy and the miko felt a little playful for the second time that day. Making her way around the house, she carelessly stripped down to her bra and panties before diving into the pool. The water's temperature was perfect and she definitely enjoyed floating at the surface and watching the stars.

Once she was clean of her sweat and cooled off, she lifted herself out of the pool, grabbed her clothes and walked into the kitchen through the back door. Seeing as all the males in the house were lusting after her and would eventually be her mates, she decided it didn't matter if she was prancing around in practically nothing. If anything, it would speed up the inevitable and perhaps make those damn guys get their asses in gear and start attempting to get her first.

She had to hold back her smirk when she pasted by Yusuke and Kurama on her way up the stairs. She was positive that two males stopped to stare at her until she disappeared down the hall. She had to hold back her laughter when Hiei stepped out of the bathroom and stopped in his tracks. He was only wearing his black pants and seemed to be getting ready for bed but was now frozen in his spot staring with slightly widened eyes at Kagome's almost naked body.

The miko wasn't ashamed of her body that was for sure. She had decent sized breasts, a nice ass, flat toned stomach, great legs, and nice arms. She was dressed in one of her favorite dark blue victoria's secret bras and matching panties and she couldn't have felt more sexy. Especially since Hiei had yet to stop staring at her. She winked at him and disappeared into her room before she smirked. Throwing her clothes to the side and deciding to wash them later, she felt too lazy to change into pajamas. She was about to crawl into bed when she suddenly heard her door shut. Seconds later, she found herself pinned to her bed with Hiei hovering over her.

"I'd be careful if I were you." he growled.

"Oh really? Why do you say that?" she smirked up at him.

"You may be overestimating our amount of self control." he informed her, completely aware of every part of her body that was currently touching him.

"And if my intention is to make you lose control?" she murmured, brushing her leg along his.

He growled and shook his head. "Go to sleep onna." he demanded before standing from the bed and heading for the door.

"Aren't you at least going to sleep with me?" she pouted, positive that Hiei could see it through the darkness.

Hiei rolled his eyes and returned to the bed before lying beside her and pulling the covers over both of them. Although he seemed to be irritated with the miko, he was actually overjoyed that it was finally his turn to sleep with her. Not to mention she was wearing practically nothing. He had the overwhelming desire to allow his hands to wander along her bare skin and didn't bother holding back. Now that he was aware of Kagome's attraction toward him, he wasn't about to hide his desire for her.

Turning to his side, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his bare chest. Burying his nose in her hair, he inhaled her wonderful scent while trailing his fingers along the skin of the miko's stomach. It wasn't long before she fell asleep from his comforting ministrations and Hiei allowed himself to rest as well. He just hoped that Yusuke didn't come barging into the room… he might have to beat the living hell out of the detective if the need arose.

* * *

A/N:

That wraps up this chapter. It was a little short and I'm sorry about that but I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless. R&R ^_^

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter Nine: Boiling Point


	9. Boiling Point

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 9: Boiling Point

Kagome leapt out of bed the next morning in a complete panic. She had forgotten to set an alarm so she could get up and get to Genkai's temple early and when she lazily yawned and glanced at the clock, she nearly screamed when she saw the machine blink 11:17. Hiei woke confused out of his mind as he grumpily watched the miko rush around her room and throw a pair of black sweat pants on along with a dark blue tank top. Where was she off to in such a damn hurry? Was it completely necessary for her to wake him in her panicked rush to suddenly leave?

"What are you dreading over onna." Hiei demanded, grumpily pulling himself out of her bed.

"Training… noon… completely forgot… idiot!" was all Hiei heard as she continued to dash through her room to finish getting ready.

"Training?"

"I'll explain later! Gotta go!" she said quickly as she rushed over to him, placed a soft kiss on his cheek and dashed out the door. Hiei remained where he stood for several minutes even after the miko left the house. Did she just kiss him? As he thought about it further, Hiei couldn't contain the smirk that spread across his lips. The miko was going to be his; there was no doubt about that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome sprinted up the stairs, without bothering to slow her pace. She was thankful of all the torturous training Sango had forced her through; otherwise the little miko would most definitely have been winded and drenched in sweat by now. But in result of her hard work and dedication, she was able to catch her breath within seconds once she reached the top of the steps. Yukina was there awaiting her arrival and smiled once the miko appeared in her line of vision. Motioning for her to follow, the koorime led her to the temple. Following the demon into what seemed to be the living room; Yukina requested that she take a seat.

"Genkai will be out in just a moment. Would you like some tea?"

Kagome smiled and nodded, waiting patiently for the psychic to make her appearance. While waiting for Genkai, Kagome's mind wandered to a certain hybrid that she had kissed goodbye that morning. She hadn't even really meant to, it was just as if it were a habit. She was in a hurry and didn't even think as she placed a kiss on his cheek and left. She wondered what Hiei was thinking… if he even noticed or cared. Her thoughts were quickly cut short when Genkai entered the room and sat across from her silently.

"What exactly have you come here for?" the old woman asked.

"Any further training you can provide me with. Perhaps increasing my fighting skills or my powers if any way possible. I want to be able to use my powers to their full potential." Kagome explained.

"How did you hear about me? Find my temple no less."

"Let's just say a little bat told me." Kagome smiled innocently.

Genkai's eyes narrowed slightly. "You ventured through my demonic forest?"

"I'm sorry… I thought they might be a threat so I had to check it out. The bat mentioned that you taught Yusuke everything he knows so I was hoping you could help me."

"You know Yusuke?" Yukina asked in surprise as she returned with two cups of peppermint tea.

"Yea, I living at the house Kurama, Hiei and Yusuke share… Koenma recruited me." Kagome briefly explained after receiving questioning gazed from both women.

"Then I am sure Yusuke warned you of the intensity of my training." Genkai said as she stood.

"No actually, I haven't gotten the chance to tell him yet."

"Well then I've just forewarned you. If you cannot handle this first day then do not bother returning." the old woman stated coldly before she motioned for the miko to follow her outside. Yukina followed behind and took a seat on the porch to watch.

"Drop any barriers you have." Genkai ordered.

Nodding, Kagome dropped her barriers she kept in place on a regular basis. She kept one up that was for emergencies. If her powers were to ever go out of control, she had a barrier set that would hold her powers from harming anyone around her. She also always kept a weak barrier around her mind. She wasn't stupid… she knew there were demons out there besides Hiei that could manipulate minds.

Kagome was completely caught off guard when Genkai suddenly threw a powerful burst of ki directly at her. From her intense training, Kagome was able to throw a shield up just seconds before the attack hit her. Even though she was able to block the attack, it still pushed her back several feet and took quite a toll on her physically. Since Kagome wasn't sure of just how powerful the attack would be, she had to slam a large amount of energy into the barrier and it took her breath away for a moment.

Genkai shook her head. "I'm impressed by your quick reactions but you are not fighting intelligently. I can sense that your ki has only a certain amount and can drain if you use too much of it at once. To conserve that energy for when you'll really need it, you mustn't use it on pointless barriers to block an attack that you could physically dodge." she lectured.

Kagome nodded, completely understanding her logic. She was right, her powers did run out if she used them too long throughout the day and she grew weak from the loss of power which left her pretty much defenseless. Kagome sighed. So maybe there were still lots she needed to learn… at least she had surprised the old woman with her agility and quick reactions. She couldn't wait to see Genkai's face when Kagome threw her gymnastic moves into her fighting style. Hopefully that would impress her as well.

"How long are you able to hold up a decent barrier?"

"Uh about an hour I think." the miko answered.

Genkai shook her head. "That will not do. Once I'm done with you, you'll be able to hold an impenetrable barrier for days."

~*~*~*~*~

"Maybe we should go search for her. What kind of training did she go to anyway?" Yusuke asked for the fourth time that afternoon.

"We are unsure Yusuke, Kagome did not elaborate on the matter. She will return once she's finished." Kurama said for the fourth time.

"But what if something happened to her?"

"Shut up detective. The miko is fine." Hiei snapped, irritated with Yusuke and his over worrying.

"Seriously though guys, who in this time could possibly train Kagome? She's almost as skilled as us in fighting and her ki is stronger than both Kuwabara and mine combined." Yusuke pointed out.

"Perhaps she stumbled upon Genkai." Kurama suggested, though not meaningfully. He was just replying in order to silence the detective. Even if Kagome did happen to find Genkai's land, she would have to cross through the forest that Genkai used to train her students. He highly doubted that Kagome actually passed directly through the dangerous forest and by some miracle found Genkai's temple. That was highly unlikely.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Training had lasted seven hours and it would be dark within the next hour. Kagome thanked Genkai and waved goodbye to Yukina before she quickly made her way back home. Genkai wanted her back the next day at the same time so Kagome planned on taking a nice hot shower to relax her aching muscles then pass out on her comfortable bed. She sure wasn't expecting to be interrogated once she stepped through the front door.

"Where the hell did you go?"

"What took you so long?"

"Explain yourself onna."

Kagome groaned as she leaned back against the doorframe. "Guys, I'm tired, can I explain later?" she whined, pouting slightly.

"You're a skilled fighter, why would you possibly need training?" Hiei questioned, ignoring her plea to relax.

"I'm nowhere near your guys' expertise. There's so much more that I can learn and now that Genkai is training me, I'll be able to use my powers at their best."

"Genkai?" Kurama questioned.

"Is training you?" Yusuke finished.

Kagome sighed. "Yes, she felt the amount of power I hold and is disappointed that I have such little control over it."

"She said you have little control? Youko says you have wonderful control." Kurama said, speaking for the kitsune that was arguing against Genkai's observation.

"What he saw was only half of what I _could_ do if I have complete control of my powers." Kagome murmured, ashamed that she didn't even know her own limitations.

"How did you find Genkai's temple in the first place? It's nearly impossible to find." Yusuke asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she prepared herself for their shock once more. "I went straight through Genkai's demonic forest. I felt the demons and thought they might be a threat so I checked it out. I kicked a little bat demon around for a bit and he told me about Genkai and where to find her."

Yusuke stared at her in surprised. "That place is dangerous!" was all he managed to say.

"Yea yea whatever. Jeez you guys are so uptight. I'm not made of glass you know, I can take care of myself." Kagome complained before pushing past her three interrogators and storming up to her room.

Yusuke groaned and shook his head at the miko's stubborn attitude. They had just been worried about her; she didn't need to get all defensive about it. Shrugging his shoulders to Hiei and Kurama, Yusuke made his way upstairs and into his room. Koenma had called for a meeting the next morning and he wanted to get as much rest as possible before confronting the irritating child leader.

"I call dibs." Hiei smirked as he turned and made his way up the stairs as well. Kurama stood confused for a moment before realization hit him. He glared at his hybrid friend's back as he followed him up the stairs. "You had her last night." he argued.

"And you had her several nights in a row. Go to sleep fox." Hiei smirked as he pushed open Kagome's door before closing it behind him.

Kurama glared at Kagome's door for a moment before continuing on to his room. He wasn't going to literally fight his friends to merely sleep next to the miko. If Hiei called dibs, then fine. Kurama would be sure to call it tomorrow.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome managed to wake up on time the next morning. She was able to quietly lift herself from bed, trying her best not to disturb the still sleeping Hiei, and disappear into her closet. With no need to rush, Kagome took her time as she changed and pulled her hair into a high pony tail. Stepping out of her closet, she yelped in surprise when Yusuke came crashing through her door, still in his boxers.

"Yo Hiei! Lets go!" the detective yelled from the door.

The hybrid slowly opened his eyes and glared toward his comrade. "What."

"Meeting with Koenma! Remember?"

Hiei growled his displeasure as he pushed himself off Kagome's bed and dragged himself to his room to get dressed for the day. Kagome turned a questioning look toward Yusuke when he turned a smile to her.

"We have a meeting with Koenma this morning?"

"Uh… _we_ do… but not you." he answered.

"What do you mean? I'm part of the team now."

"Yea but Koenma told us to leave you behind…" he murmured, breaking eye contact with the miko.

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And why am I to be left behind?!"

"Because Koenma has heard of your training with Genkai. He is aware of the fact that you have training this morning. If you were to come with us, you would surely miss your training." Kurama explained as he appeared in the doorway.

Yusuke smiled in relief and nodded. "Yea, and believe me… that old hag doesn't like it when your late for training!"

Kagome nodded slowly, accepting their answer for now even though she knew they were lying. Putting a smile on her face, she made her way into the bathroom before closing the door. Yusuke sighed in relief and turned a thankful smile to Kurama.

"Nice timing man…"

"Indeed. Although we are unsure of the true reason Koenma doesn't want Kagome at the meeting today, I'm sure there is a valid reason for his decision."

"There better be…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dodge left, dive right, back flip, duck, cartwheel right, tumble forward. For the past four hours, Genkai was sharpening Kagome's reactions and defensive fighting. She wasn't allowed to use her powers at all for this drill and if she did, she'd have to start all over again. Kagome was so used to using her powers to throw up barriers when she needed to that it was practically habit. Little did she know she was slowly using up her limited supply of energy and would run out of it if she continued using it as she had been. After several mistakes and dozens of bruises, Kagome finally finished the drill without using her powers at all.

But just because she had done it once didn't mean she had learned. So in order to burn this into Kagome's mind, Genkai continued for another hour and a half to be sure Kagome had it perfectly every time. She had to admit that when Kagome began flipping around the courtyard in order to avoid the attacks she was throwing at her, she was surprised. It was quiet impressive and would definitely assist in her fighting skills as well as defensive.

Once the psychic was sure Kagome was out of the habit of using powers as her defense, she immediately moved on to improving her attacks. Kagome was nearly perfect in her hand to hand combat and swordsmanship but when it came to her using her powers to attack, she knew next to nothing. The most she could do was throw a very weak ball of raw energy and Genkai was not pleased to find this.

In the middle of her training, Botan appeared with that happy grin on her face like always. "Genkai!" she giggled happily.

"Is there a particular reason that you are interrupting Kagome's training?" the woman asked sharply, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes indeed! Koenma needs to know if you know of any powerful demons or fighters that could join the Spirit Detectives in the new Dark Tournament." the grim reaper reported.

Genkai sighed. "There is yet another? Why must they enter this time?"

"Because the four kings are battling for ultimate power of Makai. If Spirit Realm wins, then the kings are to remain where they are and not attempt to take over other land." Botan explained.

"Why do they need another fighter? They already have three."

"Kuwabara is unable to join this tournament. His sister is in the hospital… she has been diagnosed with lung cancer…" Botan announced sadly, her smile fading for the first time.

"I will get back to you on this matter." Genkai stated before turning her attention back to Kagome. Botan nodded before quickly disappearing. Kagome stood there in silence for a moment as she stared at Genkai.

"Can… Can I go?" she asked quietly after a moment.

"Absolutely not." she answered quickly.

"But why not?! I'm skilled enough to match Yusuke, Kurama, _and _Hiei's powers!" Kagome argued.

"I am aware of that but if Koenma wanted you to go, he wouldn't bother looking for a skilled fighter. Not to mention those three hot heads would probably kill us if we allowed you to go." Genkai stated, remembering that Botan had told her Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei all intended to mate with the miko.

"I'll go in disguise! No one will know it's me! Please Genkai! Pleeeeeease!" Kagome begged, bringing her hands together in a pleading motion as she put on her best puppy dog pout.

Genkai groaned as she shook her head. "They are going to kill me if they find out…" she complained.

Kagome yelped in joy as she ran at the old woman and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" she giggled.

"I'm only allowing you to go if you complete you're training in time so if I were you, I'd start getting my ass in gear."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Her second day of training was much longer and harder than her first. Genkai was trying to teach her everything at a much faster rate now that they had a deadline. Even though the dark tournament wasn't until next month, Genkai wanted her more than prepared for what was to come. Battling the kings of Makai wasn't going to be easy if she wasn't ready. By the end of the day, Kagome was nearly finished with her training. She had learned many different types of attacks and also how to conserve her energy for when she really needed it.

When she finally arrived at the house, Kagome had the overwhelming urge to dive into the warm pool. Shrugging her shoulders, she jumped into the pool with her sweaty clothes still on. It felt absolutely amazing and the warm water soothed her sore muscles immensely. She sighed in contentment when the water began to grow warmer, serving to relax her aching muscles further. Turning a thankful smile to the hybrid that was seating himself at the edge of the pool, she slowly made her way over to him.

"So what did Koenma need?" she asked as she waded in the water only a few feet in front of the apparition.

"We have a new mission, but it is far too dangerous for you to tag along." he announced.

Kagome held back her irritation and instead asked him more about this mission she 'wasn't aloud to go on'.

"Do you remember the Dark Tournament that Yusuke explained we attended in the past?"

Kagome nodded innocently.

"There is another one, but this one is going to be more difficult."

"Why?" she asked, feeling playful as she swam forward and positioned herself between his legs as she rested her arms on his thighs.

Hiei swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried his best to ignore the miko's proximity. "The idiot is unable to join us this time so we must work with a fighter we don't know."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Kagome murmured and smiled.

Hiei nodded slowly as the miko moved away and pulled herself out of the pool. Slowly making her way over to him, she leaned down and gently held his face in her hand. "You worry too much." she whispered, her lips mere centimeters away from his. Just when he thought she was going to kiss him, she giggled and pulled away. Narrowing his eyes at her, she winked at him before skipping toward the back door. Kagome was only a few feet away from the door when she suddenly found herself pressed against the wall firmly.

"You think you can get away that easily?" Hiei growled, smirking down at the wide eyed miko. Before she could respond, Hiei bent down and pressed his lips against hers. Kagome's eyes fluttered shut as the apparition nibbled on her lower lip and pressed his body against hers. His free hand that wasn't tangled in her soaked hair was trailing down her body until it slid to the small of her back. Pulling her closer to him, Hiei broke the kiss and replaced his lips to her neck.

Kagome was in complete heaven as the hybrid nipped and licked at the sensitive skin of her neck. She had the overwhelming urge to trail her leg up his and securely wrap it around his waist. Once that thought crossed her mind, Hiei pulled her even closer against his body, grinding his hips against hers. Kagome's fogged over mind was able to register the fact that Hiei could probably hear and see her every thought and that only served to turn her on further.

The smell of Kagome's arousal urged Hiei on further. He desperately wanted to throw her down, tear her clothes away and pound into her but he held back as best he could. Instead, he moved both of his hands to her backside and squeezed tightly, earning a groan from the miko as she traced her fingers over his chest. Once he was sure she was distracted, Hiei sunk his fangs into Kagome's neck, directly above Youko's old claim marking.

Kagome ground her teeth together tightly as she felt the slight sting of Hiei's fangs. The pain was gone in seconds and Kagome found herself even more aroused. Kagome wrapped her legs around Hiei's waist as he removed his fangs and pressed his lips against hers firmly. He ground his hips against hers and Kagome held back her moan. Deciding to play with her apparition a little bit, Kagome thought of all the different things he could do to her… and where. Hiei was seeing visuals of both of them in the shower, the pool, her bed, the kitchen counter. The last visual was of him removing her clothes and taking her right there against the wall.

"You are pushing your luck onna…" he growled against her lips, his crimson eyes burning with lust.

Kagome smirked up at him as she moved her hands under his black shirt. "Who says we're actually going to act out any of those?"

Hiei growled and pressed his lips against hers once more just to shut her up. He didn't like it when she teased him… it made him want to teach her a lesson in who was boss… and that could result in someone getting hurt. Deciding that this wasn't the best time to take her, Hiei smirked against her lips as he thought of the perfect way to end the moment.

Kagome gasped in complete surprised when Hiei transferred all of his lust to her through their mental link. It was overwhelming and made her want to take control of this situation herself. She desperately wanted to push him down, burn away his clothes and straddling his hips until morning. But she felt immense disappointment when Hiei smirked and disappeared before her eyes. She glared into the night as she tried to rid herself of the remaining lust in her system.

'_You sick, sneaky bastard…'_ she growled, knowing he would hear her.

Slowly making her way into the house, she dragged herself up the stairs and toward the bathroom. Without really caring that the door was shut, she pushed it open, stepped inside and shut the door. Turning to see Yusuke, dressed only in a towel, Kagome smirked. The combination of her lust and Hiei's still had its full effect on her and she was immediately turned on when she spotted the nearly naked Yusuke staring at her in questioned.

Without warning, she pushed his against the door and kissed him. Yusuke was surprised for only a moment before he realized the miko was actually kissing him. He returned her kiss full force as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She could easily feel his arousal through the thin towel that covered the lower half of his body and Kagome couldn't help herself. Pulling away from the kiss slightly, Kagome slowly trailed down Yusuke's jaw to his neck.

Kissing and licking on the way down, she traced her fingers along his muscles as she had done to Hiei but this time she continued until her fingers hooked onto the edge of the towel. Yusuke was in complete bliss at the feel of her lips against his skin and barely noticed that his towel had dropped to the ground. He was brought to attention when Kagome's tongue trailed up his length and nearly caused his knees to buckle.

Yusuke grabbed onto the sink to hold himself up just in case as the miko pulled almost all of him into her mouth. His head fell back against the door as she pushed him in as far as she could before swallowing several times and swirling her tongue around. Yusuke wasn't sure how the miko possibly turned him on so quickly but he soon realized he was close to finish and she didn't seem to be anywhere near stopping. He was pushed over the edge when she grasped the base of him in her hand firmly before pumping him in and out of her mouth.

He was only further aroused when she swallowed every drop before licking her lips and straightening. Pressing her lips against his once more, Yusuke was shocked out of his mind when the door suddenly opened and he was pushed out of the bathroom. The door closed for a moment before opening once more so the miko could throw Yusuke's towel at him before slamming the door shut again. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and was about to make his way to his room when a sleepy Kurama peeked his head out of his room.

"What's going on out here?" he yawned. When Yusuke didn't answer and merely stared at the avatar with wide eyes, Kurama's mind finally registered the smell in the air. He also noticed his comrade's state of dress and his unmistakable hard on. Kurama quickly retreated back into his room and slammed the door shut.

*This is absurd! How is it possible that _both_ Hiei and Yusuke get to her before us?!* Youko snarled.

-What do you mean both of them?!- Kurama questioned with wide eyes.

*There were three different arousal scents in that hallway! And Kagome's scent had shifted. That can only mean that little bastard placed a claim mark on her!* Youko growled, angered that they had yet to get any intimate time with the miko but Hiei and Yusuke get some the same night.

-But they haven't gotten her yet Youko, calm down.-

*That's obvious, her innocence is so potent you'd be an idiot not to smell it.* Youko snapped.

-Will you relax Youko? We'll get our chance-

*I say we barge into that bathroom right now and tak-*

-Youko please! The smell of her arousal is doing enough crazy things to me; I don't need visuals of her as well…-

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome rolled out of bed and lazily made her way to the closet. It had taken her quiet some effort to rid herself of the combination of her and Hiei's lust but after a nice ice cold shower, she felt much better. Her time with Yusuke in the bathroom was still fresh in her mind and every time she thought of it, her face would heat up. She was hoping she could wake up extra early and leave before anyone was awake so that she didn't have to actually see Yusuke or Hiei yet.

If the hybrid found out what happened with Yusuke, he probably wasn't going to be very happy. Kagome knew that Hiei's intention was to show her just how much he wanted her but it was so intense that she couldn't stop herself once she was locked in the bathroom with sexy Yusuke. He would probably kidnap her and lock her in his room, throw his lust at her again and see what she would do to him. It took a great amount of strength to actually stop and push Yusuke out of the bathroom… she was ready to go all the way! But she didn't want to just yet… Yusuke wasn't the one she wanted first.

Even though she did love Yusuke now just as much as she loved her other two men, there was one that deserved her first. Youko had been there since the beginning… he claimed her first and never had the chance to mate with her like she had agreed she would. The kitsune had waited long enough and in her mind, he had behaved quiet well. She knew that Youko could take over Kurama's body whenever he pleased so she was impressed to see that Youko remained under control for this long. He had even agreed that it was her decision to chose who she wanted to mate first.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Kagome quickly finished getting ready and rushed out the door. Tomorrow was her last day of training if she proved that she had learned everything perfectly today. She was very excited because once she was finished with her training; Genkai was going to teach her spells. Mikos weren't witches but their powers allowed them to perform and cast spells just as witches could and Genkai was certain this power could most definitely help her during the tournament. Not to mention it would help her remain under cover. With the right combination of spells, she could make sure no one knew that the Spirit Detective's mysterious fighter was actually a miko.

Genkai was sure to warn Kagome to do her best to not use her purification for as long as she could. The sooner that her opponents learned that she possessed purification, the sooner they would acquire a way to deflect her powers. So Kagome was ordered to only use her fighting skills and spells to take down her opponents for as long as she could. She was also told not to use her gymnastic maneuvers until she absolutely needed to. That could also be used as an element of surprise.

It took the entire day to pass all of Genkai's tests to be sure she was ready for the next step. Once she had completed the tests, Kagome was told to go home and return at noon the next day to begin her spell training. Kagome happily made her way back to her new home, taking the short cut through Genkai's demon forest and stopping by to say hello to the bat demon she had nearly killed several weeks ago. He was far to afraid of her to even think of injuring her, not to mention his greatest fear, Yusuke, would tear him to pieces if he laid a finger on her.

When the house finally came into view, a smile spread across her face. Tonight, she would reward Youko for his patience. Kagome made her way into the house, keeping her mind blank so Hiei couldn't suspect anything, and smiled toward the guys in the living room. "Hey guys, training was exhausting today, I'm going to sleep. Night." she announced before heading up the stairs and closing her door. The miko waiting quietly for all three boys to leave the living room. They all thankfully went to their rooms at the same time. Kagome knew that Yusuke fell asleep like a rock but Hiei would wake if he heard her moving around the house. So in order to not disturb the hybrid's sleep, she placed a sound barrier around his room.

Once she was finished, she quietly made her way out of her room and down the hall. Opening the door to Kurama's room and slipping inside, Kagome smirked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Kurama seemed to be out cold sleeping with his blanket tangled around his form. Kagome was slightly excited by the fact that not only would she be sleeping with Youko tonight but also Kurama. Slowly making her way toward his bed, she crawled under the blanket and onto the avatar so she was straddling his hips. She held back her laughter as she noticed he was still asleep.

"Youko… I know you're awake…" Kagome whispered, her lips brushing against his ear. She wasn't surprised when she noticed Kurama's body slowly start to change. His crimson hair faded to silver as his body slowly hardened beneath her. Silver fox ears appeared atop his head as a silky soft tail snaked around her waist. His eyes slowly opened to reveal the golden eyes she loved so much. His trademark smirk appeared on his face as he stared up at the miko curiously.

"Why hello love." he purred, quickly noticing her current position.

"Hello there." she smiled.

"Is there a particular reason you are here? On top of me in such a suggestive manner?" He asked, amusement clear in his molten eyes.

"Maybe I'm suggesting something." she smirked.

Youko lifted an eyebrow up at her curiously. "Are you giving me permission to ravish your beautiful body? Because this is not something you joke about love."

"Does it look like I'm joking?" Kagome whispered as she leaned down and nibbled his ear softly. Kagome suddenly found herself on her back with an incredibly sexy kitsune straddling her hips… and all he had on was his boxers. Kagome was quickly becoming aroused and Youko knew it. His eyes scanned over the thin shirt she wore without a bra and the lacy panties that matched her shirt.

"Are you sure about this Kagome?" he questioned, refusing to continue unless she truly wanted to.

"I loved you first… you were there for me when I was at my worst. I think you've waited long enough to take me as your mate, don't you?"

"Five hundred years over due." he chuckled softly, staring down at her. "I love you Kagome…" he murmured.

Kagome smiled warmly up at him. "I love you too Youko… I have for a very long time."

The kitsune smiled and pressed his lips against hers softly as he trailed a claw down the front of her shirt, effectively tearing it in half. Kagome smiled against Youko's lips as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome woke the next morning in complete bliss. She felt warm, protected, and loved. Youko's arm was draped over her waist securely and Kagome didn't want to get up. Unfortunately, she had to because of training today. She was going to learn spells today and she didn't want to be late. Sighing, Kagome tried to get up but was surprised when she was pulled back down to the bed.

"Where do you think you're going love?" Youko purred

"I have training this morning." Kagome giggled, trying to get out of bed once more.

Youko sighed and released her. "Alright my mate…"

Kagome felt her heart soar with joy. "I'll see you when I get back. I love you." she smiled, and leaned back onto the bed to kiss him goodbye before quickly making her way into her room and getting dressed for training. Once she was ready, she rushed out the door and ran toward Genkai's temple, not noticing how the plants around her parted to clear a path for her so she could move faster.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, Yukina was there to greet her with a smile like always. Kagome pulled the demoness into a hug before walking with her to the temple. Genkai exited the door and joined Kagome and Yukina in the courtyard. Noticing that the miko was still trying to catch her breath, Genkai rolled her eyes.

"What's the reason you were running late today Kagome?" Yukina asked quietly as they followed the old woman toward an area that was covered in grass.

Kagome blushed and brushed her hair back slightly to show the ice maiden the mating mark that Youko had placed on her last night. The blue haired girl blushed as dark as the miko but smiled. "Who?"

"Youko."

"How nice, I'm happy for you." she smiled, linking her arm through Kagome's.

"Thank you." Kagome grinned.

"Who's next?" Yukina asked curiously. She knew all the latest detail with the miko since they had become best friends. They told each other just about everything and Kagome's love life definitely wasn't something that was left out of their conversations.

"Not sure yet… still thinking about it." the miko mused.

"So was it both Kurama and Youko… or just Youko?"

"Kinda both."

"When you two are finished wasting my time with your girl talk, would you both please find a seat." Genkai snapped.

Kagome leapt to attention, rushing to sit in the grass across from her trainer. Yukina was merely there to witness so took a seat against one of the nearby trees. Once Kagome was seated and waiting patiently, Genkai turned her attention to her. The psychic's eyes narrowed as she stared at the miko for a moment. There was something… different about her… about her surroundings. Not sure what she was noticing, Genkai spread her aura out across the temple grounds to be sure they weren't under attack.

With no sign of an ambush, Genkai turned her gaze back to Kagome who was now alert and searching for danger as well. That's when she noticed it. The grass… it was parted where Kagome was sitting to accommodate her. And the trees, including the particular one Yukina was sitting against, were slowly leaning toward the miko as if trying to touch her. There were only a few reasons the plant life would be acting so strangely… either a kitsune was near or an individual with power over plants.

"Kagome, did anything in particular happen since you were last here?" Genkai asked.

Kagome blushed beet red as she stuttered for a moment before slowly moving her hair to the side to reveal the mark on her neck. "Uh… Me and Youko…and Kurama…"

"I see." Genkai observed, watching the grass move as Kagome placed a hand on the ground.

"What's wrong?" the miko questioned, growing nervous from the expression on Genkai's face.

"It would seem that you've gained a new power." she announced.

"What do you mean?" Yukina asked, moving to sit closer, curious of how Kagome could possess other powers aside from her purification.

"Your mating with the avatar has granted you power over plants." She explained further.

"How do you know?" Kagome asked, confused. She didn't feel any different than she did yesterday. Maybe a little sore in her lower regions but that was to be expected.

"The way the grass and trees react to your presence. See for yourself; place your hand down on the grass."

Kagome did as she was told and slowly rested her hand on the ground, staring with wide eyes as the grass moved out of her way so she could touch the soil beneath. Youko had power over plants… but how did she possibly gain the same power? Was it because they mated? Kagome thought back on everything Sango taught her about demons. When demons mated, they didn't swap powers or anything of that nature so how did this happen? Was it because she's a miko?

"I don't understand how I got this new power…" Kagome spoke aloud, hoping Genkai could provide her with an answer.

"Never before has a demon mated with a miko. Perhaps this is the outcome of that combination. When you return home, be sure to ask Youko if he feels different but I'm almost positive that your miko powers copied Youko's."

"So does that mean when she mates with the others she'll gain their powers too?" Yukina asked.

"Most likely."

"So what does this mean? Is it bad?" Kagome asked, growing worried.

"Depends on how you see it. You have gained a different variety of powers."

"So that means you're growing stronger!" Yukina grinned.

"But that also means more training." Kagome whined when she saw Genkai smirk and nod her head.

"Seems we have lots of work to do, let's get started."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome groaned as she dragged herself up the stairs and toward her room. She desperately wished she could use her new power over plants to have them assist her up to her room but Genkai ordered her to keep them a secret so she could use them in the tournament without being recognized. Kagome agreed that it was a good idea but as she looked down the hall and saw how terribly far her room was, she felt like falling to the ground and crawling the rest of the way.

Her entire body burned and ached. Every step she took was painful. Genkai had pushed her far past her limits today in an effort to get Kagome's powers completely under control. Even though she hurt so much at the moment, Kagome was happy to know she had learned complete control of her new power _and_ learned a few spells. Too bad she hadn't learned a spell that could carry her to her room…

Kagome placed a hand on the wall to keep her balance as she continued toward her room. The poor miko was so concentrated on reaching her destination that she nearly had a heart attack when Hiei lifted her into his arms and began carrying her to her room. She sighed in relief when he placed her down on the warm blankets and smiled up at him. Instead of returning her smile, Hiei glared down at her.

"What is that hag doing to you that is drained all your energy?" he asked, his eyes narrow.

"She's teaching me to place my barriers. It's very tiring." She lied, knowing he wouldn't catch it since she had a strong barrier around her mind at the moment.

"Elaborate." he growled.

"She has me forming barriers at particular areas. For example if I'm being attacked from above, there is no need to place a barrier completely around myself and waste that energy. Instead, she wants me to form a barrier only above my head." she explained. It wasn't hard to form the lie since Genkai really had trained her this several days ago. Kagome just hoped Hiei didn't remember how quickly she learned and caught onto things.

Hiei growled softly and glared down at her. "If you are too exhausted to return you are to contact one of us to escort you back. It's dangerous to travel through that forest through the night."

Kagome rolled her eyes with a smile but nodded nonetheless. "Alright, thank you Hi-" but before she could even finish her sentence, he was already gone. Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two weeks until they would leave for the dark tournament and the guys were worried about Kagome. They didn't want to leave her at the house all by herself while they were off risking their lives to keep the world safe. They knew she probably wasn't happy about being left out of this fight but they didn't have a choice. There was no way in hell she was going to join the Dark Tournament… it was far too dangerous. And a beautiful woman like her wandering around Makai? Yea, definitely not happening.

Just the thought of other males staring at her boiled Yusuke's blood. Hiei knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself back if some demon even dared to touch her. And Kurama wasn't too worried about her being looked at or touched, he was more worried about what the other demons would think. He didn't care if they looked down on him for mating a human but what he was worried about was how they would take it. Kurama, Yusuke and Hiei had many enemies and he wouldn't doubt that any of them would use Kagome to get to them.

Among the four of them, Kagome was obviously the weakest. This wasn't being judged just because she was female but because she was too trusting and forgiving. It was going to get her killed one day and Kurama wasn't about to let that happen. So keeping Kagome as far away from the tournament as possible was the best they could do.

Hiei didn't like the idea of her staying unprotected in their home and suggested that perhaps she could stay with Genkai and Yukina since they seemed to have grown so close. They had mentioned the idea to Kagome before she left for training that morning and were relieved to find she agreed. She even seemed a little excited about it.

Now that Kagome was taken care of, they had to finish off the last few missions Koenma had thrown at them. Everyday that Kagome went to training, Koenma would call them in for a quick assignment. Today was no different. The demi lord knew of Kagome's training with Genkai and didn't bother putting her on the easy missions that needed to be done before the Spirit Detectives left.

When they arrived at Koenma's office, Kurama was sure to politely request that Kagome not be called out for any missions while they were gone. They didn't want her in any form of danger when they couldn't be there to save her. Koenma agreed and promised to merely have Botan check in on her every once and a while.

After they finished their mission for the day, the three of them stopped by the hospital to check on Kuwabara and his sister. She had been diagnosed with lung cancer about a month ago and Kuwabara refused to leave her side. She was receiving chemo and radiation treatment to shrink the cancer and all they could do was hope she could pull through. Grief filled them when they noticed the once snappy sarcastic woman that was so full of energy was slowly losing her hair.

After visiting with her for a few hours, the three active SD's made their way back home. Hiei was thoroughly irritated with Youko since the kitsune had loudly announced he was the first to have Kagome. Kurama was trying to keep quiet about their night together and hoped that Youko would have kept his mouth shut. Now Hiei knew, even received brief visuals of their intimacy. Yusuke was the only one out of the loop, especially since he couldn't smell Kagome's lack of innocents like Kurama and Hiei could.

When they reached the house the smell of Kagome's scent mixed with Youko was almost like an insulting slap in the face. Hiei only grew more agitated and Kurama blushed darkly, angry with his counterpart for not remaining silent. When Hiei stormed off to his room, Yusuke turned and was in Kurama's face.

"Ok what am I missing that you guys know?" he demanded, glaring up at his friend.

"Uh… we were first…" Kurama said, not bothering to beat around the bush

"WHAT!?!?" Yusuke screeched. Kurama merely nodded and brushed past the irate detective and disappeared into his room.

Yusuke groaned in disappointment. He thought he had her too! That night in the bathroom… he thought she wanted him first! Damnit he was wrong!! She took the kitsune first!

Yusuke took a deep breath to calm himself. He had to admit it made sense that she took Youko first. He had claimed her first, in the past, and waited all this time to have her. That's probably why she took him first, because he deserved it. Now the question was who was next? From the dark blush on Kurama's face, it was obvious that he snagged his chance with the miko as well so only Hiei and himself were left.

Yusuke smirked. It was his turn… he was going to get her second. Hiei didn't know how to be charming so he was sure the hybrid couldn't beat him to the miko unless he knocked him unconscious.

* * *

A/N:

Hope everyone enjoyed! I didn't write the lemons for Youko and Kagome's night because i want to keep it a mystery until later. They'll have a round two, so don't worry. R&R

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter 10: Icy Mornings


	10. Icy Mornings

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 10: Icy Mornings

"Hiei." Yukina giggled.

"That's who I was thinking of…" Kagome murmured, staring off in the distance in thought.

"Well I'm not only suggesting him because he's my brother." the maiden stated. Kagome had always wondered why Yukina and Hiei had such similar auras. The girl finally explained the situation and that Hiei wasn't aware that she knew. Kagome had sworn not to say anything to Hiei because Yukina was waiting for the perfect time to tell him she knew and loved him for who he was, no matter what.

"Why else would you suggest him?"

"Because Genkai and I are curious! We want to see if you gain fire or ice powers." the girl explained in glee.

Kagome groaned. "Thanks… so you guys only see me as a lab rat."

"No, no, no… more like a guinea pig." Yukina grinned, laughing at the face Kagome gave her.

"See this is my problem… Yusuke is sexy… but Hiei," Kagome paused for a moment as she thought back to that night by the pool. The intensity of his desire was incredible. "Hiei drives me crazy."

"In a good way or bad?"

"In a good and naughty way unfortunately." the miko admitted. "And I'm almost positive that Hiei will probably be as good as Youko… perhaps better. So maybe I should save best for last?"

"Oh poor Yusuke… you're not even giving him a chance." Yukina laughed.

"Oh stop it, he'll probably be great too… but he's only part demon, not full like Youko and Hiei."

"So he won't be as good in bed?"

"I don't know!" Kagome whined in frustration. She didn't know what to do… she just wanted to get mated with all of them already so she didn't have to worry about leaving any of them out or for last.

"Maybe…. threesome?"

"Yukina! I would have _never_ suspected you to be so… oh my goodness you're not as innocent as you seem!!!" Kagome bellowed, holding back her laughter at the look of complete horror on her friend's face.

"Hush hush! No need to announce it to the world! It was merely an idea!" Yukina yelled, trying to defend herself.

"Oh you dirty minded maiden! Wait til your brother finds out!" Kagome cackled.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not sure if you are aware of this Kagome but your purification is useless against ice powers. I will _not_ hesitate to freeze your feet to the bottom of the highest branch in this forest and leave you there until someone finds you." Yukina threatened, a deadly look in her eyes that reminded Kagome of Hiei.

Kagome shivered under the cold glare her friend was playfully pinning her with. "Jeez… remind me to never get on your bad side. You may have no bark but you've got one hell of a bite."

Both girls giggled as they continued on to Kagome's house that she shared with her boys. They continued discussing the matter of who was going to be next until they were within hearing range of the others. Thankfully, Yukina helped Kagome reach her decision by the time they entered the front door. Yukina was there to see the house since she had yet to get the tour. And since Kagome told the maiden about the amazing pool they had, she wanted to desperately take a swim.

Grabbing her swim suit, Kagome led Yukina to the backyard. The maiden grinned and stripped down to her one piece swimsuit before diving into the warm water. Kagome quickly ran to the bathroom to change before joining her friend.

"How do you keep the water so warm? It's like a hot spring!" Yukina asked, enjoying the perfect temperature.

"If Hiei is near the house, the pool stays warm because of his aura." Kagome explained. "But if he's in the pool, the pool turns into a giant Jacuzzi." Kagome grinned.

"Lucky… I need my own personal fire demon and a pool…" Yukina muttered, looking thoughtful.

"Like mother like daughter." Kagome giggled, remembering that Yukina had explained of her mother mating a fire demon.

"No kidding." she giggled. "Too bad there aren't many fire demons left anymore. Did you know that among elemental demons, fire demons are the most faithful?"

"Really? Well we're going to have to hunt down a fire demon for you then." Kagome giggled.

"Hello Yukina, haven't seen you for some time."

Both girls turned to see Kurama making his way over to them with a smile. He gracefully sat at the edge of the pool and dipped his feet into the water as they waded over to him.

"How have you been? You guys don't visit the temple quiet as often anymore." Yukina asked.

"Sorry, Koenma has us busy with last minute missions that need to be done before we leave."

"Is that what you guys do all day while I'm gone? I could help you know…" Kagome pouted.

"Your training is important Kagome and Koenma knows that as well as the rest of us."

"How is Shizuru?" Yukina asked, hoping Kuwabara's sister was getting better.

Kurama sighed. "Her condition has not changed since you last saw her but she is in our prayers."

Yukina frowned as she thought of how her friend had looked when she last saw her. She hadn't looked well at all… she seemed very weak and powerless. Kagome could feel their grief flooding from their auras. She had heard before that Kuwabara's sister was sick but she wasn't aware that it was this serious. Maybe she could stop by for a visit and see if there was anything she could do to help. Modern medicine was much better than it was hundreds of years ago but nothing could work better than the power of healing.

That in mind, Kagome smiled and pulled herself up toward Kurama to place a kiss on his cheek before dropping back into the water and draping an arm over Yukina's shoulders. "Cheer up guys, if she's as strong and hard headed as you guys keep saying then I'm sure she won't let this take her down."

Kurama smiled and nodded. "I'm sure she'll pull through."

Yukina nodded and smiled before looking up at the avatar innocently. "Kurama, aren't you going to join us and swim for a little?"

"My swim trunks are upstairs." Kurama said.

"Oh who needs swim trunks!" Kagome smirked as she swiftly grabbed Kurama's arm and pulled him into the water. The avatar came up sputtering, his hair covering his face and the girls broke down into laughter. Kurama smirked and tackled Kagome before dunking Yukina under the water. After the biggest splash fight in history, Yukina was saying goodbye to the guys and heading out the door with Kagome at her heels.

"I can make it there on my own you know Kagome." Yukina stated.

"I'm aware of that… but you're almost as bad as me when it comes to getting yourself into trouble." Kagome laughed.

It took half an hour to reach Genkai's temple because the girls decided to take their time and talk more. They saw each other everyday but didn't have much time to talk since majority of that time was spent on training. After hugging the koorime goodbye, Kagome began making her way back home. Half way there, she felt a familiar flare of energy following her and she rolled her eyes. Did he honestly think she couldn't sense him?

The distinct sound of his katana being unsheathed was her answer. Seconds after she heard the blade sing, she was whipping her sword out to block Hiei's swift attack. Without needing to exchange words, their battle had begun. Hiei leapt away from Kagome quicker than she remembered he could move before he rushed in once more. Kagome had forgotten that Hiei's speed probably would have improved over the 500 years they hadn't seen each other.

Thankfully, Genkai was a great teacher and Kagome wasn't having too much trouble adjusting to the apparition's pace. Unfortunately for Kagome, not only had Hiei's agility increased but also his swordsmanship. He had her disarmed and pinned to a tree within minutes. Kagome knew she could continue fighting without any weapons but Genkai made if perfectly clear that she keep her new powers and techniques secret from everyone.

"You've gotten faster."

"And you've grown stronger." Hiei commented.

"You haven't won." Kagome stated, unable to admit defeat.

The hybrid growled. "Behave onna or I'll have to put you in your place."

Kagome smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. "I'd like to see you try…"

Within seconds Kagome's clothes were nowhere to be found and the cold air brushed against Kagome's skin. His hands were warm on her cool skin and she immediately felt heat gather at the pit of her stomach. Her mind was a complete fog of lust as Hiei nipped at her skin as he removed his belts. Quickly removing his pants, a loud moan escaped her lips as he ground his erection against her soaked core. The apparition pressed his lips against Kagome's firmly as he threw his lust as her like he had before.

Kagome felt an explosion of need take over her. Without hesitation, she trailed her hands down his bare chest until they were around his waist. Pulling him toward her sharply, Hiei quickly got the clue of what she was asking for. Kissing her harder before trailing down to her neck, he massaged her breasts with each hand, his thumbs rolling over her nipples, before he pounded into her. Her head felt back against the tree in ecstasy as he pounded into her. Just before she reached her peak, Hiei sunk his fangs in the exact spot Youko had, showing that both he and the kitsune shared Kagome.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome woke the next morning freezing cold. After her night in the forest with Hiei, he carried her home and placed her in bed before disappearing. Kagome know that Hiei was half fire and half ice so the only reason her room could be so cold is because Hiei meant for it to be. Opening her eyes and trying to keep her teeth from chattering, Kagome looked around her room for the apparition. Kagome was confused out of her mind when she realized Hiei wasn't in her room. In fact, she couldn't even feel his aura in the house.

Kagome gazed around the room in shock. Her walls, bed, carpet and even her door were completely coated in ice. She sat up and stared at her sheets as they shattered to pieces from her sudden movement. Just as she was about to panic, the room temperature suddenly sky rocketed. The ice melted within seconds and she was nearly sweating as she stood from her bed. That's when she realized what was happening. Moving quickly, Kagome threw her clothes on and dashed out the door. Running past Yusuke and Kurama without a word, she burst through the door and ran to the temple.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, completely winded, Yukina was at her side in seconds asking if she was alright.

"You guys were right… I am gaining their powers when we mate…" Kagome panted, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

Yukina smirked knowingly as she felt the temperature around them drop tremendously. "Hiei huh?"

"Yea and I got both his fire and ice powers." Kagome said, linking her arm with Yukina's and dragging her to the temple. "I seriously need to get these powers under control… they are just chaotic."

"They can't be that bad…"

"I woke up to my room completely frozen and within seconds it was gone and now it's flooded." Kagome stated seriously.

"Oh…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Burn… freeze… plants… freeze… purification… barrier… burn." Genkai ordered as different obstacles appeared before Kagome. Each target that presented itself would fall in the particular way Genkai would demand. It took Kagome two hours longer to gain control of her fire powers than her ice powers. It was as if the fire had a mind of its own at times while the ice was there merely to keep the flames under control.

Now Kagome had three elemental powers and Genkai was almost positive that there was still more surprises to come. Her training done for the day, Kagome hugged Yukina goodbye before making her way to the steps.

"Yusuke tonight?" Yukina asked before the miko was out of earshot.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yea yea, I'm planning it out now." the miko laughed at the amused look on her koorime friend's face. "I'll see you tomorrow." she said before descending the stairs. She reached home in record time and Kagome wasn't sure how she was going to start the night. She could sense that Hiei wasn't home and Kurama was in his room. Yusuke was in the living room probably watching television.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome quietly opened the door, placed a sound barrier around Kurama's room and ventured to the living room. Once she was inside, she also placed a barrier around the room just in case Hiei arrived. It was going to be a long night…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome finished her training much later than ever before and she was slightly surprised no one had come searching for her. Genkai was just about to return to the temple when both she and Kagome felt danger approaching. Genkai ordered for Yukina to stand behind them and be sure no one attacked from that direction.

With their backs to each other, Kagome closed her eyes and spread her aura as she used to in the past. She felt seventeen weak demons rushing toward them from the north and three stronger demons approaching from the east. Kagome felt her excitement grow as the demons drew closer. Genkai could feel the pure glee in the miko's aura and shook her head.

"No powers for the weak ones." she stated.

"Ok and what about the strong ones?"

"If you must, only use your purification. Keep you new powers and spells secret still. The detectives may arrive if Koenma notices these demons."

Kagome nodded as the demons burst through the trees. Kagome and Genkai kept Yukina between them as they prepared for battle. Kagome knew that Genkai was going to be keeping an eye on her to be sure she had actually learned what she was being taught over the past few weeks. Kagome took brief note of the fact that the three stronger demons had arrived but were remaining unseen and off the battlefield. The first demon leapt at the miko and she effortlessly took it down with a powerful roundhouse kick and punch to the face.

Genkai pounded two demons into the ground before throwing another demon across the courtyard. Yukina was hiding behind Kagome and was confident that no one would be able to touch her with Kagome and Genkai keeping her safe. The weak demons were almost completely eliminated when Kagome suddenly felt one of the demons in hiding rushing at them quickly. Unfortunately, Kagome hadn't moved quickly enough and before the miko could even blink, Yukina was gone. That damn demon moved quicker than Hiei!

Pounding her fist into the last demon's stomach and throwing him into a tree, Kagome turned a threatening glare to the dark haired demon that now stood before them with Yukina in his clutches. The other two hidden demons dropped down to stand beside the one that had Yukina and glared at Kagome and Genkai.

"Release her!" Kagome growled, quiet impressively for a human.

"I think not." the demon that had the koorime smirked.

"What are you here for." Genkai demanded, glaring at them coldly.

"We're here for you. We know Koenma's lapdogs are short a fighter. Our lord will not be pleased if the Spirit Detectives enter the Dark Tournament this year." one demon snarled.

"And what does she have to do with any of this?" Kagome snapped.

"You may have demon mates onna but that does not mean we cannot tear you to shreds." the third demon smirked. He had creepy silver eyes and black hair.

"I'd like to see you try!" Kagome didn't need to turn around to know Hiei, Yusuke and Kurama were now standing behind them. The demons that held Yukina hostage glared past Kagome and Genkai.

"Release the koorime and your death will be quick." Hiei snarled.

"I've got a better idea… If you want to see her alive again, you will enter the Dark Tournament." said the second demon with dark purple hair and blue eyes.

"Weren't you just bitching about them not going?!" Kagome snapped, pissed that Yukina was in danger because she wasn't quick enough to save her.

"We've changed our minds. You will enter the tournament and eliminate the competition but when you are to battle our team, you will throw the battle." the purple haired demon stated.

"You're out of your mind! Why would we do that?!" Yusuke yelled.

"Because if you don't, she will die a slow and painful death." the dark haired demon smirked before disappearing. The last two demons glared at them for a moment longer before disappearing as well.

"DAMNIT!" to everyone's surprise, that foul word had left _Kagome's_ mouth, not Yusuke's. "Damnit damnit damnit!!!!"

"Please calm down Kagome, we'll get Yukina back in one piece." Kurama said, taking a step away from the irate miko as her aura flared to life.

"It's my fault she's in danger! I should have moved faster!" Kagome growled, impressing her mates by how demonic it sounded.

"Kagome she'll be fine." Yusuke reassured.

"How do you know!?"

"Because when they go to the tournament, they're going to find her and bring her to safety before the fights begin." Genkai stated, her eyes talking to Kagome as well. The miko knew what she was trying to say. She was saying that once they, including her, arrived in Makai they were going to hunt down the bastards that kidnapped Yukina. Kagome didn't doubt that Hiei was almost as hysterical as she felt. She knew Hiei was aware that the ice maiden is his sister and the fact that she was just kidnapped right before his eyes wouldn't bide well with the hybrid.

Knowing that they were supposed to leave for Makai in two days, Kagome forced herself to calm down. She couldn't risk her newly enhanced powers flaring out of control while her mates were there. They would know how powerful she'd grown and Kagome didn't want to give them a reason to suspect she was the secret fourth fighter that would join their team. Genkai had already gotten Botan on their side and was going to help make it seem as if Kagome was staying at Genkai's temple.

"Return home for now. You'll all be leaving in two days so if I were you, I'd spend that time with Kagome." Genkai said before turning and disappearing into her temple. Kagome took a deep breath to keep her calm before turning her gaze to the guys.

"I'll meet you guys at home… I'm going to visit Kuwabara and his sister." she announced before walking down the stairs, not bothering to wait for any of them to respond.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kagome! It's nice to see you but what are you doing here?" Kuwabara asked once he spotted the miko at the nurse's desk.

"Hello Kwa, I'm actually here to visit you and your sister." Kagome smiled warmly. Although Kuwabara seemed happy to see her, the miko could still clearly see the worry and depression in his eyes. Kagome pulled the tall man into a hug for a moment.

"How is she doing?"

"Worst with every day that passes…" Kuwabara murmured as he led the miko to his sister's room. Kagome held back her tears as she stepped into the dark room and spotted Shizuru. From the dark circles around her eyes, it looked as if she hadn't slept for weeks. Kagome could see her skinny arms lying on top of the thick blanket that covered her and it was obvious that the woman had lost a lot of weight since the cancer hit her. When she heard them enter, Shizuru turned her tired eyes to them and smiled as best she could.

"You must be Kagome, I've been waiting to meet the woman that stole the hearts of almost all the members of the Spirit Detectives." she grinned, laughing softly.

Kagome smiled and moved to stand next to Kuwabara's sickly sister. The miko could feel her life energy fading at a steady rate. There had to be something she could do to help her… Shizuru wasn't only Kuwabara's sister but also his best friend.

For the next hour and a half, Kagome spent her time talking to Shizuru. She had suggested that Kuwabara visit the guys at the house and take a break while she and his sister shared some girl talk. Kagome liked Shizuru, she was very strong willed and protective of her loved ones. She was fighting this cancer with all her might but the chemo and radiation just didn't seem to be helping her.

By the time Kuwabara returned, Kagome and Shizuru had finished eating. The miko was sad to see that the woman only took several small bites of her dinner but at least she was eating. Kuwabara informed Kagome of the time and the miko announced she had to leave. After hugging Kuwabara, Kagome leaned down to Shizuru and kissed her cheek and hugging her tightly as well. As she hugged the woman, Kagome pushed as much healing energy she could into her, hoping that if it didn't help her fight for her survival, it would at least help her live longer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome held Kurama close, refusing to let go. "Please be careful…" Kagome murmured as she buried her face into the avatar's neck.

"We will be, I promise." Kurama whispered.

Kagome pulled away and wrapped her arms around Hiei as he stepped out of the house. "You be careful too Hiei."

"Hn." the hybrid snorted as he pulled away enough to kiss her softly.

Yusuke exited the house with a backpack and his communicator open. Kagome pulled the detective into her arms for quick hug before turning her attention to Koenma. "Have you found Yukina's location yet?"

The demi god nodded his head slowly with a small smile. Kagome sighed in relief and turned to Yusuke. "_Please _don't get yourself killed."

"Relax Kags, we'll be fine."

"I'm just worried… and I won't see you guys for who knows how long."

"Koenma will give you a communicator so we can keep in touch with you. We just need to be sure you are safe." Kurama said.

"I understand… well I'm going to Genkai's. Call me when you guys get there."

"Alright, Botan will call you once she has Yukina safe in Reikai." Hiei stated before turning toward the black portal that had been waiting for them this entire time. Kagome smiled and waved goodbye to her mates as they disappeared through the portal. Once they were gone, Kagome dashed toward Genkai's temple. Once she arrived, Genkai ordered for her to begin her spell. In order for Kagome to stay undercover, she had to cast a concealment spell on herself so that not only would her scent and aura feel and smell different, but she would also have a black cloak that only she could remove.

After five minutes, Kagome was completely covered in a black cloak with the hood pulled over her head. Once Genkai was satisfied with Kagome's cover, they called Botan for a portal. Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama were supposed to meet Genkai and their mysterious fourth teammate in Makai. Once the portal appeared, Kagome casually walked through behind her mentor. She wasn't surprised when she saw her three mates she had just said goodbye to.

Yusuke had his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. Kurama seemed far more laid back than the detective but Kagome knew better. The avatar was already trying to calculate her, trying to determine if she was a threat or ally. Hiei had his hand resting on the hilt of his katana and was pinning her with his usual cold glare. Genkai stood beside Kagome with her arms crossed over her chest.

"This is your new teammate. His name is Kane." Genkai said.

Kagome felt like groaning as she remembered that Genkai demanded that Kagome not speak unless she perfected her voice spell. It was a spell that could change her voice to sound different from her own. Not only could she not speak but she also wasn't allowed to use her guns! Her favorite weapon was completely off limits because if she used them, it would be far too easy for the spirit detectives to realize it was her in disguise.

"Does this guy talk?" Yusuke snorted, irritated when Kagome remained silent.

"Rarely. He can have quite a temper though, so if you value your life, I suggest you not get in his face." Genkai said.

"Like I could even find his face in that hood anyway…" Yusuke muttered.

Kagome felt the urge to smack Yusuke up side the head until Kurama spoke up. "May I ask how you met each other?"

"He was a student of mine and is now a very talented fighter that has worked hard to gain the respect I currently hold for him."

Kagome refused the urge to turn and look at Genkai with tearful eyes. Did she really mean that?

"I see. You are sure that he can hold his own in the tournament then?"

"Indeed. He could take two of you at once without breaking a sweat." Genkai smirked.

Yusuke snorted. "Keh, I doubt _that_ but thanks for finding our last teammate grandma."

"I need to return now. Kagome is by herself at the temple." Genkai said before disappearing out the portal she came, leaving the undercover Kagome with her clueless mates.

"Well let's get going." Yusuke muttered. 

"A friend of ours was kidnapped and our boss has supplied us with her current location. Our first and foremost priority is to rescue her." Kurama explained as he fell into step beside Kane… otherwise known as Kagome. The miko slowly nodded her head so signal that she understood what the avatar was telling her. This was going to be much harder than she thought… Resisting the automatic reaction to speak was far more difficult than she imagined. Once they reached their room at the tournament, Kagome was determined to perfect her voice spell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yusuke peeked over the wall quickly before silently dropping back to the ground to join his team. "Heavy guard and I don't just mean there's lots of them." the detective informed, referring to the dozens of large ogres guarding not only the gate but the entrance door as well.

"Hiei, scout around the structure. Try to pinpoint Yukina's exact location." Kurama suggested but before Hiei could move, Kane began walking along the wall that surrounded the building. Shrugging their shoulders, the three followed after him until he stopped and pointed at a room on the south side of the property.

"Alright so she's somewhat close to the main entry. I wonder if there are any other entrances."

"I say we just go through the front door." Yusuke snorted, cracking his knuckles.

"We do not want to alarm everyone of our presence Yusuke." Kurama said, rolling his eyes at his companion.

Hiei's gaze traveled to the roof in thought while Kurama debated an attack from underground to surprise the guards at the front gate. Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes, even if they couldn't see the motion. It was slowly growing more difficult to keep silent, especially when she had a game plan. Without bothering to inform her comrades of her action, since she was unable to, Kagome bowed her head and brought her hands together in prayer position in front of her chest. Gaining complete concentration, Kagome quietly chanted her spell.

Only when the energy around her spiked for a moment did she gain everyone's attention. Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei stared at their mysterious partner in surprise as she slowly disappeared before their eyes. Kagome smirked in triumph as she realized her invisibility spell had worked. More entertaining than the fact that she was successful in her spell was Yusuke's face. He was staring at where she once stood with such shock she felt the urge to reappear right in front of him and yell 'BOO!'

Unfortunately, this was a serious situation and Kagome needed to get to work. Knowing that she couldn't ask one of the guys to give her a boost up to the top of the wall like they had for Yusuke, Kagome had to improvise for herself. Moving to stand next to the wall, Kagome called upon the surrounding plant life and requested that it assist her. She held back her giggle as her three mates turned to stare at the plants in confusion as they seemed to lift someone up to the top of the wall.

Before Kagome leapt down to the ground on the other side of the wall, she stopped when she heard Kurama's voice. "Be careful Kane. If you need us, whistle." Kagome smiled, even though they couldn't see it, and leapt to the ground gracefully. Making sure that her aura was completely concealed, she casually made her way right toward the front door and walked directly through it. That was the interesting part of her invisibility spell, she could walk through walls if she so desired. She just had to be careful because it wore out her energy faster than the invisibility itself.

Moving quickly so that she wouldn't suddenly reappear right in the middle of the foyer, Kagome rushed to where she felt Yukina's aura. Once she reached the door, she made her way through it and frowned at the sight before her. Yukina was chained to the wall on the far side of the dark room. Since no one else was in the room, or anywhere nearby for that matter, Kagome spoke the cancellation enchantment to remove her invisibility. A smile immediately graced the koorime's face when she saw Kagome appear before her and drop her hood.

"Kagome! You've perfected your spells!" Yukina whispered in excitement.

"We'll talk about this later, I need to get you out of here." Kagome murmured as she stared at the chains that held her hostage. They held a peculiar dark energy around them and Kagome wasn't sure if she had time to figure them out. Shrugging her shoulders, the miko wrapped her fingers around Yukina's and closed her eyes. Whispering the invisibility spell, she was slightly disappointed to see that the chains became invisible as well.

Glaring at them, Kagome used her power to go through things, hoping Yukina would be pulled out of the shackles. Instead, the chains fell away from the wall. Groaning and pulling her hood back over her head, Kagome lifted the chains and as quietly as they possibly could, both the women walked back the same way Kagome came. Not wanting the guards seeing her plants moving along the wall, Kagome called forth as much power as she could to take Yukina with her through the thick wall until they both rejoined the boys.

Removing her spell, Kagome remained silent as everyone smiled in relief to see Yukina in one piece. Yusuke called Botan and moments later, a portal appeared only several feet away from them. Everyone was curious as to why Kane hadn't removed the shackles but decided not to ask as the ice maiden made her way safely to Reikai. Kurama requested that Botan call Kagome to let her know that Yukina was safe before both of them disappeared.

"Nice job man." Yusuke grinned and smacked Kane on the back.

Kagome nodded her head in thanks before following after Hiei, who was already headed toward the location of the dark tournament this year.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It took them three hours to finally arrive at the tournament and by the time they reached the sign in table, Kagome had improved her voice spell. While they were traveling, Kagome had placed a sound barrier around herself so she could practice and work on her voice. Now, as they stood at the table waiting for Yusuke to finish checking them in, Kagome was looking beyond the crowd and into the stadium. There was a large platform in the center of the building, surrounded by thousands of seats for audience to watch.

"Alright thank you. I'll need to inform you that this year's tournament is different. In order to qualify your group in the semi finals, you all must survive race." the woman sitting at the table stated.

"What race?" Yusuke asked.

"The council has prepared a track for the qualifier race. Survive and pass the finish line, then you move on to the semi finals."

"And every member of our group has to pass the finish line in order for us to reach semi finals?" Kurama questioned.

"Indeed and each of you will be driving your own separate cars." she smiled.

"Do you guys give us the cars we have to race in or do we have to get our own?" Yusuke asked.

"You are required to provide your own car. The only rule is that each car cannot have weapons of any sort."

"When is the race." Hiei asked, glaring at the woman.

"Tomorrow at seven in the morning. Here are your room keys." she said, handing Yusuke the keys before turning to assist another group of fighters.

"Right, so we'll have to call the toddler. With all the money he's got, we can pretty much pick whatever car we want." Yusuke grinned

Kagome smirked as she thought of the exact car she needed to cross that finish line without trouble. This was going to be fun.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, everyone was standing at the start of the race. The Spirit Detectives glanced around at the other cars to check the competition. Majority of the chosen cars were sports editions but there was also several muscle cars among the bunch. Those were most likely the demons that planned on eliminating the competition instead of merely beating them. The detectives were currently waiting for Botan to arrive with they're cars.

Speak of the reaper, Yusuke jumped slightly when a huge portal appeared beside him. The first car out of the black hole was a black Ferrari Enzo with a red dragon on the hood. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to guest that was Hiei's choice. Not only was it in his favorite color but it was one of the quickest cars known to man. Only problem was that it was very light weight so if anyone slammed into him, he'd go spinning.

Second was a light blue Corvette Z06. By the excited look on Yusuke's face, Kagome guessed that was his car. She was quiet impressed with his choice. The Corvette had 638 horsepower, a supercharged 6.2 liter V8 engine, and was capable of reaching 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. Compared to Hiei's Ferrari, which had a 3.0 litter V12 Engine, 296 horsepower, and reached 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds, Yusuke's car probably couldn't win if this were a normal race to the finish line.

The next car that exited the portal was a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo. This was a very nice choice for Kurama seeing as it had 560 horsepower, a 5.2 litter V10 engine, and reached 60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds. A smirk slowly graced Kagome's face as she watched her car appear out of the portal. Her sports car held a 6.1 litter V12 engine that had 550 horsepower in its beautiful orange colored hood. It blasted to 60 miles per hour in a mere 3.2 seconds and 100 miles per hour in 6.3. Her chosen car was an orange McLaren F1.

Now that everyone had their cars, Kagome opened the door and got in. Everyone else followed suit and moved their cars up to the starting line. Kagome put her McLaren in first gear and revved her engine, causing the wheels to spin. Yusuke smirked and did the same, followed by everyone else. Kagome nearly laughed at the individuals that attempted to copy her but her attention was averted to the cougar demon with a gun that stood at the top of a large stand. He held the gun in the air and once it was fired, everyone was off.

Kagome easily swerved to the very front of the group and remained in the lead for quite some time, cutting off any car that came to close. She kept a close eye on each of her companions to be sure they all made it to the end with her. Coming to the first turn, Kagome pulled her emergency brake, down shifted and drifted around the corner like a pro. Glancing in her rear view mirror, Kagome groaned when she spotted one of the muscle cars giving Kurama trouble. Pulling up her hand brake, Kagome turned the wheels all the way around and sped through the oncoming cars until she was near Kurama's Lambo.

Pulling her brake once more, she spun in a circle until she was facing the correct direction once more and happened to end up on Kurama's other side. Keeping him on the track and away from the endless cliff that the track followed, Kagome remained at his side for a few minutes until another muscle car caught up to them. It wasn't hard to guess that both owners of the mustangs were on the same team. Realizing that they were both going to throw them off the cliff, Kagome slammed on her brakes as she down shifted.

Pressing on the gas, she rammed Kurama's car and pushed him further up before braking once more, just in time to watch both mustangs go flying off the cliff. Since the muscle cars were stronger than their sport cars, Kagome knew they could push them off easy. But since she cleared the area they were pushing, both cars went flying off in the direction they were steering. Now that Kurama was safe, Kagome sped up to catch up to Yusuke, who was having trouble with a Camero.

Keeping Kurama in her rearview mirror to be sure he would be alright around all the chaos, Kagome approached the yellow Camero from behind. Once she was close enough, the miko pulled her handbrake, dropped the clutch, and spun around all the way until the tail end of her car hit the front headlight of the Camero. She smirked as she gained control of her car and threw it into reverse. Watching as the Camero spun out of control; the miko rolled her eyes at the amateurs that were attempting to win this race.

Driving in reverse right behind Yusuke, Kagome watched as dozens of cars slammed on their brakes or collided with the Camero she had just nicked. Thankfully, Kurama skillfully swerved out of harms way and caught up until he was behind Kagome. With her hood still up, she nodded her head slightly before dropping her clutch and spinning back around to face the correct direction. Glancing behind her, she realized that a large amount of cars were no longer in the race. Ahead of them, there were a few dozen cars, Hiei among them.

To Kagome's surprise, Hiei was a great driver. Not as skilled as her of course but he had quick reactions and dodged any potential hits from the surrounding cars. Coming up to another turn, Kagome drifted around it, leaving Yusuke and Kurama in her dust while she caught up to the leading cars. Deciding to eliminate a few people of her own, Kagome crept up behind a beautiful Toyota Spyder and was going to nudge the right side of his bumper but just couldn't bring herself to do it. She had already destroyed a perfect Camero, several mustangs and countless other expensive cars. She loved cars too much to ruin this adorable Spyder.

Seeing the finish line approaching around the last three turns, Kagome slowed down so she could have room to drift through all three turns one after another. She was quite impressed to see Hiei drift around each of the turns as well. She should have known he would be a decent driver. He was one of the fastest demons she knew, why wouldn't he want to drive one of the fastest cars in Japan?

Once they all crossed the finish line, Kagome pulled her somewhat damaged McLaren away from the track and got out. Leaning on the door, she watched as other demons exited their cars as well. Some joined up with their fellow teammates that made it past the finish line and others searched to see if they're entire group made it. Yusuke and Kurama were at her side before she knew it, cheering that they had made it to the semi finals.

"Shit Kane! Why didn't you say you were a badass fucking driver!?" Yusuke chuckled, slapping his hand on Kagome's back.

Kagome chanted her voice spell before speaking. "You never asked." she answered in a deep masculine voice.

"Whoa! He speaks!" Yusuke laughed, smacking her once more.

"Yusuke, perhaps we should return to the room… once we find Hiei." Kurama suggested.

"He is right there." Kagome stated, pointing toward one of the many cars performing donuts at the finish line.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"It was so awesome! You should have seen it, Kane was drifting all over the place, pushing other drivers off the track!" Yusuke explained to Kagome over his communicator in excitement.

"Really, sounds like fun." Kagome smiled.

"You would've loved it since you love cars and all." Yusuke grinned.

"Indeed, there were many expensive sports cars at the event. In fact Kane was driving a McLaren." Kurama said as he took the communicator from the detective.

"No way! Koenma let him get a McLaren?! Oh that damn toddler better get me a god damn McLaren!" Kagome complained.

Kurama chuckled. "No need to worry, I'm sure he'd get you whatever you desire."

"Well what if I desire you…" she smirked.

*Let's go back!! Now!* Youko cried, desperately wanting to hold his mate again.

-We need to finish the tournament first Youko, you know that-

"Hey now, no dirty talk please." Yusuke begged.

"If we must suffer from lack of sex then you must as well." Hiei glared, angry that he couldn't return to the house and pound his little miko into a wall.

"Aw but Hiei… I miss you guys…" Kagome pouted, putting on her best puppy dog face.

"Silence onna." Hiei growled.

"Hey where's Kane at anyway?" Yusuke questioned.

"He said something about checking out the competition." Kurama answered before turning his attention to Kagome on the screen. "We must be going; we'll call you back tomorrow to update you on the rakings."

"Alright… I love you guys." Kagome smiled and blew a kiss at the screen before she shut it. Pulling her black cape back on and exiting the forest surrounding the stadium, Kagome pulled her hood over her head before proceeding to check out their competition like she said she was doing. Once they arrived at the room, Kagome knew the guys were going to call her so she threw out an excuse to get out of the room before rushing into the forest. Since Genkai had a forest around her temple, it would be easy for her to make it seem as if she were there.

"See anything we need to worry about?" Yusuke questioned as he fell into step beside her.

"Yes, the group walking into the stadium now." Kagome stated, pointing toward the group with three very familiar men among them. Those were the three demons that kidnapped Yukina and it looked like they made it past the qualifier race.

"Those are the demons that kidnapped Yukina." Kurama announced.

"Well they're dead if they're against us." Yusuke growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Indeed." Hiei growled, glaring at the group.

Tomorrow the council would post who qualified to the semi finals and which groups were to battle to determine who would make it to the finals. Kagome took another glance around the field of demons. She desperately hoped everything worked out as planned… and hopefully she could keep her disguise up because not only would the guys kill her but every other demon in the surrounding area would attempt to take her life once they realize she was the legendary Shikon Miko that defeated Naraku.

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A/N:

Next chapter should be exciting! It's the semi finals AND the finals! Unfortunately, this fic is coming to it's close. How many chapter are left do you ask? You'll never know :P Could be 1… could be 4… you'll just have to wait and find out ( Hope everyone enjoyed. R&R please.

Thank you ^_^

~*Icyfire*~

Next Chapter – Chapter Eleven: Blazing Frost


	11. Blazing Frost

*~The Fire Within~*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho in any way shape or form… though I wish I did ^_^

Let's talk telepathy:

*Youko*

'Hiei'

-Kurama-

'_thoughts'_

Chapter 11: Blazing Frost

The yu yu gang watched the fight before them in boredom. This was the elimination fighting round to see who qualified to the finals. Currently there were two ridiculously idiotic demons battling it out on the platform in front of them. All the teams were standing on the ground next to the raised platform watching the fight. Since they were so bored with the fight, the group decided to choose who was going to take on their first battle. They were up next against the toad demons and from the looks of it, they had already chosen their fighter for the round. Yusuke rolled his eyes at the demons that looked so confident in themselves. Apparently, they hadn't met the Spirit Detectives yet.

"So who wants to go first?" Yusuke asked.

"I would like to see what our friend Kane can do in battle." Kurama spoke up, turning a smile toward their hooded companion.

"I agree." Hiei added.

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders and looked toward Kane. "You alright with that man?"

Kagome nodded her head slightly as her answer before turning toward the toads. Closing her eyes, she examined their auras carefully to find what their weaknesses were. It only took a moment for Kagome to form her game plan and within the next few minutes, the battle that they had been watching was over and Kagome was lifting herself up onto the platform. The demon she was facing leapt across from her and cracked his knuckles with a smug look on his face. The bell rang and the battle began.

The toad remained where he was and stared at his hooded opponent. Kagome remained completely still as she called upon her elemental powers. The temperature in the entire stadium dropped to around the low thirties and everyone gasped in surprise when they saw their breath. Snow began to fall from the sky and the toad snorted.

"That's it? Did you plan to defeat me with a little snow? HA! What a joke!" The demon chuckled.

Suddenly the snowflakes froze and formed into long sharp spears of ice. Before the toad could even blink, the spears were plunged into his body. Seconds after the ice spears pierced the demon's skin, his entire body went up in flames. Turning on her heel, Kagome casually made her way off the platform and back to her group while the toad slowly burned to death.

Yusuke smiled sheepishly over to his now slightly scary teammate and gave him a thumbs up. Everyone took a mental note to not get on Kane's bad side as the next two fighters jumped into the ring. For the rest of the day, groups were eliminated while others moved on to the finals. The Spirit Detectives remained in the stadium the entire day to check out their competition. Toward the end of the day, they were finally able to see the group that kidnapped Yukina in action. They were powerful; there was no doubt about that. But Kagome was more than positive that they could defeat them and anyone else in this tournament.

Once the matches were over and the groups were set in the finals, everyone returned to their rooms for the night. Kagome wasn't worried about the guys disturbing her while she slept because she knew Kurama and Yusuke were now intimidated by her show of power. They were probably curious of what type of demon she was and if they asked, she would just tell them she was an elemental. Hiei on the other hand wasn't intimidated but respected her. Even though they didn't know it was her, she was glad she got to spend this time with her mates.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of the finals and they were in the first match… against the team that kidnapped Yukina.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Here are the rules for Finals: Each team must fight against the team randomly chosen to compete against them. One fighter is chosen at a time to fight in a one on one match. The team that end up with the most wins will move on to the final fight."

The last remaining four groups were standing around the platform. The yu yu gang, the team fighting for the southern lord, the northern lord's team, and the western lord's team were left to battle it out for the championship. The yu yu gang was chosen to fight against the southern lord's fighters first. After their battles, the western and northern groups would fight and the two winning groups would compete against each other to determine the winner of this year's tournament. The southern lord's team were the demons that kidnapped Yukina and the Spirit Detectives were all out glaring at their opponents.

While the guys made themselves look like complete idiots, Kagome was examining each of their auras. Among the four of them, two of them were blonde, one had green hair, and the other had red hair. The two blondes seemed quite powerful but not as deadly as the male with green hair. He had a peculiar aura that made Kagome shiver. She wasn't sure what it was about him but she didn't want any of her mates fighting against him… she didn't want to watch any of her mates die before her eyes. The red headed demon seemed to have mainly fire powers. And from what Kagome could remember, he was also the one that moved almost faster than Hiei.

For the quick one, Hiei would be best because the hybrid's fire power was obviously much stronger than his opponents. Yusuke and Kurama could fight over which blonde demon they were going to take on but Kagome called dibs on the green haired demon. He was too dangerous for her to let out of her sight. She just hoped he wasn't skilled enough to take her down.

After the rules were announced, the first fighters were ordered to enter the ring. They chose the red headed demon to fight first so Kagome turned toward Hiei and nodded her head toward the platform. Hiei nodded before gracefully leaping onto his battlefield. Once they were in position, the bell sounded off. Immediately, the demon began throwing fireballs toward Hiei. The hybrid dodged with ease as he unsheathed his katana and used it to deflect several of the attacks as well.

Finally growing frustrated, the fire demon sped at Hiei, unaware of his opponent's speed, and attempted to drive his katana through his chest. Kagome's breath caught in her throat as she watched Hiei stand there as his impending death came rushing at him. Seconds before the demon struck, Hiei dodged and roundhouse kicked him in the back, bringing him to his knees. Before Hiei could deliver the finishing blow, the fire demon blasted the hybrid with a ball of black flames. Hiei was thrown across the platform, his clothes burned as well as his skin slightly.

Growling, Hiei got to his feet and threw off his cloak. This was going to be a difficult fight seeing as both of them were fire demons and practically matched each other in speed. Realizing this, Hiei removed his headband as well. His opponent's eyes widened in fear as he recognized the jagan eye opening on Hiei's forehead. Gripping his katana tightly in his hand, the fire demon charged Hiei at full speed, hoping to kill him before he had the change to use his third eye.

Hiei smirked cruelly as his prey drew closer. Within the blink of an eye, the fire demon was on the ground screaming in agony. Deciding to make his death quick, Hiei drove his blade through the demon's chest. The crowd cheered so loud it was nearly impossible to hear the announcer state the winner of the match. They didn't need to hear it because it was quiet obvious who won. The apparition returned to his group and turned a smirk toward the group against them.

The next pair of fighters were ordered to enter the platform and Yusuke stepped forward without hesitation. He was excited for a good fight and only grew more motivated when he watched one of the blonde demons leap to the platform to stand across from him.

"You're going down lapdog." the demon smirked.

Yusuke snorted. "Did you not just see what happened to your teammate? This fight will end similar to that one."

The demon snarled and rushed Yusuke once the bell rang. Yusuke easily sidestepped and attempted to drill his fist into his opponent's stomach but he leapt back before Yusuke's fist could make contact. Kagome's attention on Yusuke's battle was averted when Kagome heard Koenma's voice. Turning toward Kurama to see him looking at his open communicator. Kagome and Hiei made their way to Kurama's side to check what all the commotion was about.

"They are very dangerous! Each of them has a special power that can possibly kill you if you're not careful!" the toddler yelped.

"Sir, the demon Hiei just faced was nothing special. Hiei was able to defeat him in less than five minutes." Kurama stated.

"Then Hiei is lucky that demon was cocky! Don't underestimate the last ones. Now that they know you guys are strong, they're not going to go easy on you!" the demi god yelled.

"Alright sir, we'll be careful. Thank you for th-" At that exact moment, the demon Yusuke was facing seemed to have used his secret power. Everyone in the surrounding area fell to their knees except for the demon's teammates. Kagome could feel every muscle in her body being pulled to the ground but she refused to give in. Looking up to Yusuke, she nearly cried out when she saw the detective attempting to resist the demon's power. Yusuke's opponent was slowly walking toward him with that same knowing smirk on his face.

"Now what was that you were saying about this fight ending the same as the last?" The demon mocked as he stood over Yusuke's struggling form.

Everyone was confused when they heard Yusuke's laughter. Lifting his head with great difficultly, Yusuke smirked up at the blonde haired demon. "Hate to say I told you so." Once those words left the detective's lips, he used all of his strength and will power to pull his arms up and fire his spirit gun so quick, the demon didn't have enough time to escape.

"Yusuke is the winner of this round!" the announcer cheered as the crowd screamed in excitement. The power that was pulling them down was released and Kagome had to hold back the urge to run up to Yusuke and hug him as tightly as she possibly could. The bruised and bleeding detective removed himself from the platform and returned to his teammates. The third fight was declared to begin and the yu yu gang looked toward the group against them. They would have to win both these last battles to remain in the competition and from the looks on their faces, they were completely aware of that.

Kagome scowled when she saw the demon with green hair climb onto the platform and before Kurama could move, the under cover miko was already pulling herself onto her battlefield. The demon was as tall as Kuwabara without a doubt. He had thick muscles and a handsome face but something about him made Kagome want to end this battle as soon as she possibly could. This demon wasn't cocky or overconfident. He seemed cool and collected as he stood completely still across the ring from her.

The bell sounded and both fighters remained where they were, examining their opponent's auras. At least, that's what Kagome thought he was doing until she was suddenly lifted off the ground without him even touching her. Kagome groaned in irritation as she realized he was telekinetic. He threw her high into the sky before pushing her to the ground with such speed Kagome almost didn't have time to save herself from the fatal fall. Seconds before she hit the ground, a long thick vine wrapped around her waist and kept her from colliding with the concrete.

Setting her gently on her feet, Kagome took control of the plant life in the surrounding area and requested that it protect her from the enemy. Every time the demon attempted to use his telekinesis on her, one of her vines would rush at him in an attack, throwing off his concentration, therefore not giving him the opportunity to attack Kagome with his mind. With that covered, Kagome was almost sure she could finish this quickly until the green haired demon smirked and kneed to the ground. Kagome's eyes widened as the ground began to shake and suddenly all of the plants below them were thrown into the air and out of the stadium.

With no more protection from her plants, Kagome turned to her other elemental powers to keep him distracted so he couldn't take her down with his mind tricks. Kagome was slowly running out of energy and she knew she had to try her best not to use her purification. She had to keep that as a surprise attack only if the need arose. Aside from her purification, she also had her gymnastic moves to catch her opponent off guard. She had plenty tricks up her sleeve; it was just a matter of when to use them.

Finally growling frustrated from the attacks of fire and ice shards, the demon pushed everything away from him. Kagome growled as she realized that the bastard also had quiet a strong barrier that she was having a hard time penetrating. Another surprise was the fact that this demon was also as fast as Hiei. So fast that Kagome was completely caught off guard and he was able to wrap his large hand around her neck firmly. Glaring down at her, who he probably thought was a he; the demon threw her into the ground before preparing to drop his elbow down on her back.

Rolling out of the way quickly, Kagome suddenly felt a hand grip her ankle before throwing her all the way across the platform. Kagome shook herself back to reality as she got to her feet quickly and countered the punch that was aimed for her stomach. Delivering several sharp and powerful punches to her opponent's stomach and chest, Kagome leapt away just as he attempted to uppercut her. She didn't have anytime to recover because seconds after she backed away, the demon was in her face once more, throwing multiple punches and kicks to her already aching body.

"Come on Kane! Kick his ass!" Yusuke yelled, trying to help support her.

Suddenly, the demon used Kagome's hood against her and pulled it further down so her face was pulled toward the ground. Seeing his knee come toward her face as if it were approaching in slow motion, Kagome quickly twisted out of her cloak, pushed her fire powers into her fists and delivered a punch to his chest so powerful that it threw him completely across the platform.

Everyone stood in complete silence as they stared at the dark haired woman dressed in a pair of black shorts and a shirt that only just covered her breasts. Along the outsides of her thighs were Kanji tattoo markings. On her right, the three markings in a row said Good, Order, and Life. The tattoo on her left leg said Evil, Chaos, and Death in a row. On her right wrist there was the Kanji for ice and on her left was the Kanji for fire. The last tattoo located on the center of her upper spine. It was the Kanji for plants.

"Ka…Kagome?!?!" Yusuke yelled.

Kagome winced at the sheer volume of her mate's voice and slowly turned around to face them for a moment. The looks on Hiei and Kurama's faces were more than words and Yusuke was practically hyperventilating from his confusion and anger. Knowing that she had to keep her attention on her opponent, Kagome turned her gaze back to the demon that was slowly beginning to stand. He had a smirk on his face that made Kagome want to slap it off his face.

"So you must be one of their mates… didn't like the fact that your mate was going to fight without you? Well you'll regret that decision now." he growled as he darted straight at her and grabbed her by the throat once more. Now that Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama knew their fourth teammate was really their mate, they were panicking like no tomorrow. Kagome held onto the demon's forearms tightly to try relieving the pressure on her throat. Once Kagome knew he thought he was going to beat her, Kagome brought her legs up and kicked him hard in the stomach.

Landing on her feet gracefully, she smirked over to the demon. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a human female."

The demon snorted and used his speed to get the upper hand. Unfortunately for him, he was unaware of Kagome's previous training with quick demons and was easily keeping up with his movements and dodging any incoming attack that he attempted. After dodging several strikes, Kagome called upon her ice powers and once the demon was close enough, she used her own enhanced speed to rush behind him and hold his arms behind his back. Within seconds, the demon was turned into a solid block of ice.

Sighing with relief, Kagome roundhouse kicked the block and watched as the demon shattered to millions of pieces before her eyes. Once she was announced the winner of the match, Kagome slowly made her way back to her mates, dreading the verbal beat down she was bound to receive.

*That sneaky little vixen… I should have known…* Youko chuckled.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?!" Yusuke snapped once she was within a few feet of them.

"I'm sor-"

"You're looking for trouble again onna." Hiei growled, glaring at her.

"No I-"

"Kagome, I can't believe you would hide this from us." Kurama interrupted her, his voice clearly telling the miko how hurt he felt.

"Will you all shut up?! I knew you wouldn't let me come if I straight out asked you and I was worried about you guys ok?! And I wanted to prove to you that I could fight just as well as you could. I'm not made of glass you know; I can get thrown around a little and won't break down in tears. I wanted you guys to see that I can protect myself and that my training has improved my skills." Kagome explained.

All three of them were silenced and their faces softened. Their mate just wanted to prove she was worth and all three of them knew what that was like. Deciding to cut the miko some slack since she had done quite well in her battle, Kurama stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug. The announcer stated that the final battle was to take place and Kurama released her so he could enter the ring. Even though they had already beaten this group, it was only fair to let all four fighters battle it out. Yusuke was the next to hug Kagome before he pulled away and averted his attention to the fight that Kurama was engaged in.

Hiei was still glaring at her slightly but Kagome merely smiled warmly and stepped toward him. Wrapping her arm around his waist, Kagome leaned her head against his arm. "I missed you too." she murmured as she pulled him closer to her. Hiei rolled his eyes and turned toward her and placed a kiss on her lips before turning back to the match. They knew Kurama was going to win but they wanted to watch anyway. Kurama easily defeated his opponent in less time than it took for Hiei to kill his.

Now they could sit on the side and relax while they watched the last two teams battle it out. The winner of this fight would move on to fight the Spirit Detectives for the Championship. It took about four and a half hours until the western lord's group was declared the winner. Now the SD's would face them off. Koenma made it perfectly clear that they _had_ to win because if they didn't, then the western lord would take over the entire demon realm and attempt to battle against Reikai for power over Makai.

When they were ordered to pick their first fighters, Kagome volunteered to go first and all three of her mates protested.

"You're out of your mind onna."

"There is no way you will be battling again, it's too dangerous."

"Hell no!"

Kagome rolled her eyes at her overprotective mates. "Will all of you calm down? I'm insulted that you have no faith in my fighting skills. I bet if I were to ask Youko right now, he would be perfectly fine with me fighting." Kagome argued.

*She is correct. I don't see why you appose to her fighting. She is exceptional.* the kitsune stated, completely confident in his mate's abilities.

At seeing the look on Kurama's face Kagome smirked. "Exactly. I have a plan ok? _No _one knows that I have purification powers. I'm just going to get our team a quick win so we can get this over with and we can go home. Ok?" Kagome said.

Kurama sighed and nodded, agreeing with Youko. There wasn't anything to worry about. Kagome had kept her purification a secret so she could surprise her opponent. Hiei nodded slightly but still held that glare on his face. Yusuke grudgingly agreed and they all watched as Kagome front handspringed onto the platform and smiled when the crowd began to cheer. The demon against her scowled in disgust as he waited for the bell to ring. Once it went off, the demon began to approach Kagome. The miko merely stood where she was with her arms crossed over her chest.

Just to prove to her mate's how powerful she truly was, Kagome smirked as she released her aura and called upon her purification. Without even touching her opponent, he suddenly turned to dust and Kagome turned to return to her team. Kagome was declared the winner of the round in record time and her mate's were all staring at her in complete shock.

*So Genkai has helped her improve her purification as well… impressive.* Youko purred, proud of his mate.

"Wow Kagome…" Kurama murmured

There wasn't much time to say anything more because Hiei was making his way to the ring seconds after Kagome returned to the group. His battle was quick as well, deciding that he didn't want to mess around; Hiei released his dragon and watched in boredom as the black dragon devoured his opponent before returning to his arm so he could reseal it. Kurama stepped onto the platform next and used his deadly plant to defeat his opponent just as quickly as Hiei. Yusuke was last and with one shotgun, his opponent was done for.

All four of them now standing on the platform, the Spirit Detectives were declared the winners of the Dark Tournament. After retrieving their metals, Botan appeared to transport them back to their homes to rest and heal up. After a good yelling at Genkai and Botan for allowing Kagome to go under cover and fight in the dark tournament, everyone returned to their home. Kagome was happy to be with her four mates and they were all just happy she was alive. History in the making resided in that one large house… the last miko in existence, one of the only forbidden children to survive, ancient demon blood ran through Yusuke's veins and the legendary Youko Kurama shared a body with a human. Never before had a miko mated with a demon, three none the less… this was sure to be a story told for many years to come.

The End

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A/N:

Lame ending? If you think it was, I'm sorry but I just wanted to wrap it up. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and I'm sad to announce that this story is officially finished. There will be many other fics to come ^_^ so don't worry. My co-author and I are currently working on a great fic. Not sure when we'll begin posting it but we're hoping you'll all like it. Well this was definitely a fun fic to write, I hope it was fun for all of you to read. Until next time! Love you all! R&R please

~*Icyfire*~


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